Book review: Sea Salt by the Lea-Wilson family
The producers of Halen Mon salt have created a 'perfectly seasoned' cookbook with Sea Salt
The authors of this book have great authority on all things related to sea salt. The Lea-Wilson family made their first batch of salt from the seas around the Welsh Isle of Anglesey in a saucepan on an Aga in 1997. Halen Môn (in Welsh ‘halen' is salt and Môn is ‘Anglesey') has since grown into a much-loved brand that supplies home cooks and Michelin-starred restaurants the world over – apparently their salt has even seasoned Barack Obama's favourite caramels. In 2014 Halen Môn joined the likes of Champagne and Parma ham in receiving Protected Designation of Origin status.
The family's latest venture is this cookbook, which is split into seven chapters: raw seasoning, hot seasoning, brining, pickling and fermenting, curing, flavours of the sea and seasoned sweets and drinks.
The book's recipes have been developed by family friend and chef Anna Shepherd, and each has a nod to salt, whether it's curing fish for the mackerel with fennel and rhubarb or generously seasoning the bone marrow beef burgers before grilling to create a crust to keep in the meat juices.
The book features a number of veg-led dishes, such as sherry-braised fennel and almond lasagne, which takes most of its seasoning from the salty Parmesan and capers; the lemony courgette tempura finished with delicate flakes of sea salt; or the parsnip and Cheddar croquettes made from well-seasoned breadcrumbs. The recipe for black garlic ketchup is reason enough to get your hands on this book.
No one reading this review will be surprised to learn that seasoning is what distinguishes someone who can really cook. The basics of cookery school will teach any chef worth their salt (sorry!) how much to add and, more importantly, when, making this book aimed more at the home cook. That said, Sea Salt has some interesting techniques for those less familiar with brining, curing and pickling. And if nothing else, the beautifully marbled cover and stunning photography of the rugged coastlines of Anglesey will make a handsome addition to your bookshelf.
Sea Salt: A Perfectly Seasoned Cookbook by the Lea-Wilson family (White Lion Publishing, £26)
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