Coming into the holiday season I like to get a jump ahead and make a few pantry staples to have on hand to dress up a meal on a moments notice. Flavored salts are a quick and easy way to dress up vegetables, meats, fish, and even desserts depending on the type of salt you make! This Italian herb salt is a great multi-use salt that I love on roasted potatoes, grilled pork loin, or to season a holiday roast!
HERB SALT INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup sea salt
1 Tablespoon rosemary (I prefer dried for this to keep moisture out of the salt)
1 Tablespoon thyme
2 teaspoons chili flakes
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorn
METHOD:
1. Place all the ingredients for the salt into a spice grinder (I have a coffee bean grinder that I use exclusively for spices) you could also use a mortar and pestle.
2. Pulse until herbs and spices are finely chopped and the salt is uniformly mixed. ~30 seconds.
3. Pour into a ziplock bag or mason jar and set aside for future use!
HERB ROASTED POTATOES
Italian herb salt (see above)
Yukon gold or red potatoes diced and blanched (I leave the skin on and cook in lightly salted water until the potatoes are just tender) drain off the water and cool down
Extra virgin olive oil
METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 (if you have a convection oven I like to cook these in the convection oven at about 425)
2. While the oven is preheating I place a cookie sheet in the oven to preheat as well. (this ensures that the potatoes begin cooking as soon as they hit the pan which makes for crispier potatoes)
3. In a large bowl toss the potatoes with a generous amount of olive oil. You want to make sure that all of the potatoes are lightly coated with the olive oil.
4. Toss the potatoes with the Italian herb salt and mix.
5. Dump the potatoes onto the hot cookie sheet and cook until as crispy as desired. (approx 20-40 minutes depending on desired crispness!)
About Chef Alisa:
Viaggio Charter is excited to introduce Chef Alisa Jestel, the newest member of the Viaggio team! Chef Tristin was offered an exciting land based opportunity in Seattle that was too good to pass up. With Tristin moving ashore, Captain Trig found himself in need of a new chef so he turned to his long time friend and prior co-worker Alisa.
Alisa has been cooking professionally around the Seattle area for the past fifteen years, the last six of which have been spent aboard a variety of luxury yachts cruising the Pacific Northwest! Alisa thrives on the abundance of local products available in the area and enjoys creating memorable dining experiences at every opportunity! She customizes each and every meal to the individual needs of VIAGGIO’s guests, and loves taking time to share her passion and knowledge for food with anyone that is interested. Alisa has been known for giving impromptu cooking classes on cooking what you catch, fresh pasta making, and seasonal cooking.
Alisa spends her free time during the off season traveling and exploring her love for food in other countries. She finds her self often revisiting Italy for more extensive training on pasta making and other old world culinary arts! Viaggio Charters is excited to welcome Alisa aboard and looks forward to sharing her culinary delights with you!
Viaggio Yacht Charter – Captain Trig in SE Alaska
For more information visit: www.viaggiocharter.com
Seasoned Crew – Custom Designed Itinerary – Relaxation – Majestic Alaska Beauty
