Sunday, August 24, 2008

Salt & Pepper

So, I wanted to see if I could cook an entire meal using only salt and pepper. Please don't try this with any type of salt and some pepper from a jar. You'll need kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Since it was the weekend and I was cooking for the week. I made chicken and and salmon. Brine the chicken. To stick with my theme, I just used kosher salt. No cheating.
Move on to the salmon. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. I'm serious. This is a theme.
Get thee to a hot skillet. High heat to caramelize both sides. Remove from pan and cover with foil. Let the carryover cooking do its thing.
Isn't that lovely?
Back to the chicken for a second. Isn't that gorgeous? High heat to caramelize both sides. Remove from pan and cover with foil. Let the carryover cooking do its thing. Sound familiar?
Yes it was very juicy. I forgot to mention that because you brined it, you don't need to add any more salt. Just use the pepper.
Now for the sides, I kept it simple: roasted broccoli (without the lemon) and sliced tomatoes. Hey, I got to use my favorite tomato knife.
Simple is good. My salt and pepper meal was wonderful.

Tools of the trade:

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are insane!!! There are many people - myself included - who can cook for days using only salt & pepper. I'll have you know I have been using sea salt and peppercorns for years.

Toni

NuJoi said...

For those who have almost every spice and herb known to man, cooking with only salt and pepper is a challenge. My challenge for you is to cook with a new herb & spice and you can't make steak and rice! Hey, that rhymed.