For the past two weekends, I have done the same activity: roast chicken. I used the same recipe for both dishes, and used the same oven for cooking both. I even used the same tablespoon to add salt.
One turned out to be seasoned perfectly, while the other was so under seasoned that I ended up adding more salt at the table. The only variable that changed was the box I scooped from. That was when I figured out that using a tablespoon to measure out salt is a terrible idea.
Almost no recipe mentions that not all salts are created equally by the spoonful. The crystals vary greatly in size, and larger flaky crystals contain more air pockets. As such, a tablespoon of flaky salt contains significantly more air than a tablespoon of table salt and thus, less actual salt. “Natural” and colored salts (such as black smoked salt or pink Himalayan salt) contain some trace minerals, but they are still primarily sodium chloride.
What matters is the amount of salt (sodium chloride) you are actually adding to your food.
Nathaniel, HomeViable
| Salt | Grain size | By the spoon | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table salt | Very fine | Most per spoon (~16 g/Tbsp) | Precise baking measures |
| Fine sea salt | Fine | High | Everyday cooking |
| Kosher salt | Medium flake | Middle of the pack | All-purpose and brining |
| Fleur de sel | Small flake | Lower | Finishing |
| Flaky sea salt | Large flake | Least (~10 g/Tbsp) | Finishing and crunch |
That difference is real; one tablespoon of table salt weighs around 16 grams, whereas one tablespoon of large flaky salt crystals weighs around 10 grams. When measuring ingredients by volume, it’s common to be off by a third or even more. However, when measuring ingredients by weight, a gram will always equal a gram.
Salt by the numbers
- Seasoning: about 1% of the food’s weight. 100 g of chicken means 1 g of salt. Go 1.5% for saltier, 0.5% for lighter.
- Wet brine: 5% for a standard at-home brine, up to 10% for the full restaurant effect.
- Dry brine: 1 to 2.5%, salted and left uncovered in the fridge overnight or longer.
Methods of Brining
Brining is a chemical process that happens before cooking begins. There are two ways to do it, a wet brine and a dry brine, and each is used for a different situation.
| Wet brine | Dry brine | |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 5% at home, 10% for restaurant-level | 1 to 2.5% |
| Time | Same day, about 2 hours at 10% | Overnight or longer |
| How | Fully submerge in salted water | Salt the surface, rest on a rack |
| Pays off in | Fast, juicy results tonight | Crispy skin and deep browning |
The wet brine is faster than the dry brine but be mindful of its strength. 10% brine is a very aggressive brine, which is why it is a same-day move. At 10%, you’re going to have to cook that thing tonight. Do not let it sit overnight. We will end up with pickled food.
Free lesson · 3 min
Watch The Hot Pan Rule, free from the Technique Library
Understanding How a Dry Brine Works
While a dry brine may just look like some salt resting on meat in the fridge, the process does a few beneficial things. First, it pulls certain water-soluble proteins to the surface. This helps with the Maillard reaction. If you didn’t know, the Maillard reaction is a savory reaction that occurs between proteins and sugar that creates a lot of the flavor we find in food once cooked.
It is important to distinguish this from caramelization, which is just the sugars cooking. A dry brine also gives a drying effect which helps crisp the skin rather than it being steamed. Lastly, a dry brine breaks down myosin, the muscle protein that contracts during cooking.
When myosin contracts, it squeezes moisture out and the meat turns dry and tough. Breaking myosin down is why a dry-brined chicken stays relaxed in the pan and holds onto moisture throughout cooking.
Now, before you reach for the salt container, I want to encourage you to weigh your salt with a scale rather than scooping it out. If you can, brine your meat as time allows it and you will find that your food will be seasoned to your expectations.
