How to Use Himalayan Salt Blocks For Cooking & Serving
A beautiful, solid Himalayan Salt Block is an amazing and unique way to cook, prepare and serve food. Himalayan Salt Blocks can be used for grilling and searing on the stove top or barbecue, chilling straight from the fridge or freezer, and are exquisite for serving.
Cooking with a Himalayan Salt Block
When cooking with a Himalayan Salt Block, the heat sears and browns while the salt gently dehydrates the surface and seasons the food. This combination of heat and salt working together creates beautifully rich flavors and textures. A Himalayan Salt Block can be used directly on a gas stove, grill or barbecue. For use on an electric stove top, place your Himalayan Salt Block on a metal ring (like a pie dish with a removable base) to raise it up off the hot plate. You can also heat your Himalayan Salt Block in the oven.
Himalayan Salt Blocks can withstand incredibly high temperatures – salt melts at 800°C! They must be heated slowly to minimize the stress caused by the various mineral components and crystalline structures expanding at different rates, so start heating your Salt Block before you start your meal prep. Large Salt Blocks will take longer to heat than small ones. Your Himalayan Salt Block needs to be hot enough to avoid moisture from the food dissolving the salt and transferring too much salt to the food. If the heat feels uncomfortably intense while holding your hand 10 cm away your Himalayan Salt Block is ready for cooking.
Use metal utensils and be firm with them when turning or removing food to avoid build-up. When hot, treat your Himalayan Salt Block as a cooking surface like a stove top or frying pan and avoid touching or handling it. Because of the thermal properties of salt, your Salt Block will hold its temperature for a very long time, whether hot or cold, so use extreme care.
Chilling and serving with a Himalayan Salt Block:
Pop your Himalayan Salt Block in the fridge or freezer for several hours or overnight to prepare and serve ice-cream, fruit and desserts with an entirely new dimension of flavor. When frozen the physical mass of the Salt Block freezes the food, but the salt works to thaw it, creating an interesting tension in its texture. Use oven mitts to transport a Himalayan Salt Block from the freezer to the table to avoid the heat of your hands warming it and leaving hand prints on its frosted surface.
Curing with a Himalayan Salt Block:
Meats, fish, fruits and vegetables can be cured quickly and easily on a Himalayan Salt Block, or sandwiched between two. Place fruits and vegetables on a Salt Block for up to a couple of hours, or meats and fish in the fridge up to a couple of days.
Cleaning and maintenance:
Turn the heat off as soon as you’ve finished cooking with your Himalayan Salt Block and let it fully cool to room temperature before cleaning. Moisten with a wet sponge and scrub vigorously before wiping clean. Avoid using soaps or detergents as they may penetrate the salt. Pat dry and leave to sit to allow any residual moisture to evaporate. Store away from humidity, or wrap in some paper towel and store in a plastic bag if you live in a humid environment.
Cooking with a Himalayan Salt Block will alter its color and appearance and it will develop tiny cracks over time. It may be beneficial to use one Salt Block for cooking and another for serving.
