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Barefoot Contessa & Salt


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Old 30-01-2013, 14:50
NewExample
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I watch Ina sometimes and am in constant amazement at the amount of salt she uses!! I made a spaghetti bolognese the other day, I normally do a chilli instead - more flavour, but it was delicious. I used the traditional Bologna recipe, and just added mushrooms and herbs. I thought I'd follow her bolognese recipe today, for a change as I had a load of mince to be used, and it's gross. Should've tasted before adding the 3 TABLESPOONS of salt. Should've used my common sense. You have a lot of liquid and leave it cooking for hours to condense. It is supposed to bring flavour out and diffuse, but no. No wonder she is huge, why does she do this?? Has anyone got any advice on how to rescue the saltiness? Tried sugar, but it doesn't work. Thank you!
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Old 30-01-2013, 15:31
sixtynine
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Slice and add a raw potato to the bolognese. It'll soak up the salt as it cooks. Good luck
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Old 30-01-2013, 16:21
epicurian
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Where did you find the recipe?

This one calls for one tablespoon of salt in the sauce: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ipe/index.html
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Old 30-01-2013, 16:37
Pixie Queen
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milk or cream can help. add a little at a time and taste till you feel it's ok.
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Old 30-01-2013, 16:48
DaisyBill
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I've never really noticed the amount of salt she uses. I do notice the vast amounts of butter, cheese, cream and oil she uses in her recipes. Often at the same time.
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Old 30-01-2013, 17:36
degsyhufc
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I watch Ina sometimes and am in constant amazement at the amount of salt she uses!! I made a spaghetti bolognese the other day, I normally do a chilli instead - more flavour, but it was delicious. I used the traditional Bologna recipe, and just added mushrooms and herbs. I thought I'd follow her bolognese recipe today, for a change as I had a load of mince to be used, and it's gross. Should've tasted before adding the 3 TABLESPOONS of salt. Should've used my common sense. You have a lot of liquid and leave it cooking for hours to condense. It is supposed to bring flavour out and diffuse, but no. No wonder she is huge, why does she do this?? Has anyone got any advice on how to rescue the saltiness? Tried sugar, but it doesn't work. Thank you!
You're solely blaming the salt content on her weight?

You should watch Anne Burrell. Now she does like her salt. She shots handfulls into dishes
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Old 30-01-2013, 17:43
stud u like
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US tablespoons are different in size to ours. UK tablespoons are about 20 percent larger.

I would also consider that it was an error and that it should have been teaspoons.
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Old 30-01-2013, 18:00
epicurian
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She also uses Kosher salt which is coarser and will yield less sodium than the same volume of regular table salt.
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Old 31-01-2013, 01:46
NewExample
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Slice and add a raw potato to the bolognese. It'll soak up the salt as it cooks. Good luck
It worked! I did it earlier. Cooked it as normal, and then used the potato trick. Thanks
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Old 31-01-2013, 01:48
NewExample
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Where did you find the recipe?

This one calls for one tablespoon of salt in the sauce: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ipe/index.html
It was a 'revisit' of one of her 'classic' own recipes, she used a few extra ingredients and more salt. She said it was kosher salt, and I looked it up, and apparently it is better in recipes as it brings the flavour out more, and you need less of it! Not more!
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Old 31-01-2013, 01:51
NewExample
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US tablespoons are different in size to ours. UK tablespoons are about 20 percent larger.

I would also consider that it was an error and that it should have been teaspoons.
Sorry for all these different replies, on my phone. I have a proper measure similar to the one she uses. And ours are smaller, as they are flatter and tiny. Theirs are deep. I use normal tablespoons or 'desert spoons'. I have one bigger one which is probably a tablespoon but most people use the one you would use for cereal in cooking, as did i today.
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Old 31-01-2013, 10:05
epicurian
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Sorry for all these different replies, on my phone. I have a proper measure similar to the one she uses. And ours are smaller, as they are flatter and tiny. Theirs are deep. I use normal tablespoons or 'desert spoons'. I have one bigger one which is probably a tablespoon but most people use the one you would use for cereal in cooking, as did i today.
U.S. tablespoon 14.8 mL
UK tablespoon 17.8 mL

(according to google, anyway...)
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Old 31-01-2013, 14:39
sixtynine
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It worked! I did it earlier. Cooked it as normal, and then used the potato trick. Thanks
You're welcome
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Old 31-01-2013, 15:12
epicurian
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I'm not trying to be awkward, but really? What is the scientific principle behind this? I always thought it was an old wives tale.

The salty bolognese should have dehydrated the potato by osmosis, that is, the water inside the potato cell would have diffused out in an attempt to dilute the salty sauce. Osmotic flow always goes in the direction that favours dilution, so rather than the potato soaking up the salt, the water inside the potato should have flowed into the sauce. And I'm genuinely surprised that there was enough water in one potato to make such a noticeable difference in a sauce with three tablespoons of salt. And really, you could have achieved the exact same result by adding some water from the tap.

Leaving all that aside, why would the potato absorb just the salt in the liquid and not the rest of the liquid (which would do nothing to reduce the concentration of salt in the remaining sauce)?
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Old 31-01-2013, 15:51
sixtynine
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I don't know

I've heard aubergines do the same too.


But as for the scientific reasoning behind it...

I don't know
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Old 31-01-2013, 15:55
epicurian
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Bah! I want answers!
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Old 31-01-2013, 15:57
sixtynine
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Bah! I want answers!
Lol I even resorted to google, and it appears google is not my friend on this one...I'm stumped!
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Old 31-01-2013, 16:01
NewExample
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I'm not trying to be awkward, but really? What is the scientific principle behind this? I always thought it was an old wives tale.

The salty bolognese should have dehydrated the potato by osmosis, that is, the water inside the potato cell would have diffused out in an attempt to dilute the salty sauce. Osmotic flow always goes in the direction that favours dilution, so rather than the potato soaking up the salt, the water inside the potato should have flowed into the sauce. And I'm genuinely surprised that there was enough water in one potato to make such a noticeable difference in a sauce with three tablespoons of salt. And really, you could have achieved the exact same result by adding some water from the tap.

Leaving all that aside, why would the potato absorb just the salt in the liquid and not the rest of the liquid (which would do nothing to reduce the concentration of salt in the remaining sauce)?
I have absolutely no idea. I'm not bothered as it worked anyway. It didn't add much to the wateriness I basically cooked it in this big wok pan for about an hour and a half, then chucked in a load of raw potato, and although when I removed them it was still a bit too salty, it was no where near as bad. I don't like to waste stuff so I'll probably make a couple of lasagnes... I usually put beef stock cubes with a pint of boiling water into my mince and onions before the chopped tomatoes, I always make it watery and let it condense. Lucky I didn't use stock cubes this time. It was a huge pan full
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Old 31-01-2013, 16:02
epicurian
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Lol I even resorted to google, and it appears google is not my friend on this one...I'm stumped!
lol Oh well. There has to be something to it since so many people swear by it. Just one of those mysteries of life.
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Old 31-01-2013, 16:06
sixtynine
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Yes I guess it's up there with where do odd socks disappear to? Does every house have a black hole between the washing machine and laundry basket?
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Old 31-01-2013, 16:11
NewExample
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lol Oh well. There has to be something to it since so many people swear by it. Just one of those mysteries of life.
Is it not something to do with starch?
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Old 31-01-2013, 16:29
epicurian
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Is it not something to do with starch?
Yeah, perhaps the starch from the potatoes masked some of the saltiness. When you said up there that the potatoes didn't add much to the wateriness, I wasn't surprised, but was surprised you could taste the difference, because the one thing I'm fairly sure of is that potatoes don't act as salt only magnets.
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Old 31-01-2013, 17:06
Smokeychan1
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Where did you find the recipe?

This one calls for one tablespoon of salt in the sauce: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ipe/index.html
There is absolutely no need for a tablespoon of any kind of salt in a pasta sauce

When I first saw the OP's post, I thought he may have mistaken the amount needed for the pasta ('the cooking water should be as salty as the mediterranean") and used it in the sauce instead. Obviously not.
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Old 31-01-2013, 17:10
epicurian
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There is absolutely no need for a tablespoon of any kind of salt in a pasta sauce

When I first saw the OP's post, I thought he may have mistaken the amount needed for the pasta ('the cooking water should be as salty as the mediterranean") and used it in the sauce instead. Obviously not.
It's not my recipe! But surely a lot depends on the size of your tablespoon, the size of your salt granules, the amount of sauce and your own personal taste, no? And one tablespoon is significantly less than three.

For the record, I add salt a pinch at at time, not a spoon at a time... unless I'm baking of course.
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Old 31-01-2013, 17:23
Smokeychan1
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No, absolutely epicurian I agree with it being to personal taste. I always salt things at the end of cooking and can't remember the last time I used as much as a teaspoonful for soups or stews - if I add salt at all.

Credit should go to those responsible for getting the message across that too much salt in our diet is bad for our health. It's probably one of the more successful public information campaigns.
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