How to Use Smoked Salt
We use smoked salt in our Permaculture Food Lab ALL the time. But two ways stand out more than others.
We soak beans for 8 hours, then place in our InstaPot covered with water (about 1.5 inches over the tops of the beans) with a good seasoning of smoked salt…preferably the more pungent salts like hazelnut or seaberry leaf. The smokiness permeates the entire dish, adding a dimension of savoriness unmatched by salt alone. If you don’t have a crock pot or InstaPot, of course use a covered sauce pan or stock pot on your stove. Simmer the soaked beans gently until tender. About 30 minutes. Crock pots seal in the smokiness a little better, but stock pots will work just as well. Pro tip: try to buy beans that were harvested the same season you use them…fall is a great time to buy beans in northeastern USA. Dried beans are delectably tender closest to their harvest time.
Mushroom stocks in the style of traditional Japanese ‘dashi’. We use fresh woodland mushrooms to make multiple kinds of stock. Vegan Japanese dashis use shiitake mushrooms and kombu as the main ingredients. Non-vegan versions call for smoked bonito, a kind of tuna that is dried, smoked, and shaved to make dashi stocks. Vegan versions work fabulously with smoked salt, kombu, and any variety of mushrooms, but particularly shiitake. The smokiness mimics the bonito and adds the depth of tradition to the broth. Add shredded dried daikon, some sake, a jujube or two (red Chinese date), some soy sauce or yeast extract (Marmite or Vegemite), even garlic for extra umami flavors.
Make tofu or tempeh barbecue marinades or vegan eggplant or tempeh “bacon”—the smokey cured flavor mimics those smoked/cured items many associate with animal products. Add some refined peanut oil, too, to even further mimic familiar fatty acid profiles.
Use in split pea soup! Use some smoked salt, and it’s an entire game-changer for split pea soup. No one will miss the ham!
Pulled jackfruit. Caramelize lots of onions and garlic in refined peanut oil until VERY soft, low and slow. Add canned jackfruit (Trader Joe’s sells it), smoked salt, paprika, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup to taste, some tomato paste, lots of black pepper, maybe even a little dry mustard, and you’re good to go! Everyone craves this dish. Serve up on soft tacos or on good sandwich rolls.