Test Kitchen tips: Salt roasting

The technique is kind of like a combination of roasting and steaming, and according to Food editor Russ Parsons, it's pretty magical:

"Salt-roasting, essentially nothing more than baking something in a mound of salt, is a technique with ancient roots but a thoroughly modern result -- food that tastes clearly and intensely of itself.

"You don't need any fancy equipment. You don't need days of preparation. You don't need a pantry full of exotic ingredients. With nothing more than a roasting pan and a box of salt, you can create moist, richly flavored dishes that derive their complexity not from complication but from concentration.

"The fact that, as I've since learned, it's remarkably easy to make at home only adds to its magic."

Russ explored the technique of salt roasting for a great story he did in 2007. Check out the story, then grab a box of salt and try it for yourself. (Yes, it's as fun as it is flavorful.) No worries, he includes recipes, like the spiny lobster at left.

If you have any kitchen tips or questions you'd like me to explore, leave a comment below or shoot me an email at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

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-- Noelle Carter
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Photo credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times