CBD Smoked Bourbon Sea Salt

Whenever preparing a new dish, I try to always be mindful of creating “palette fatigue”. My goal is that each bite that a guest takes will not only be enjoyable, but will also have novelty, which aids in maintaining their attention from the beginning to the end of the dish. The incorporation of differing textures, temperatures, and contrasting flavors help to ensure that a guest isn’t simply moving their jaw after the novelty of the first several bites of the dish have worn off.

One of the most useful and versatile tools in this effort is “finishing salt”. A finishing salt is typically a large, flaked salt which is added conservatively to a finished protein in order to create a pleasing aesthetic and to provide intermittent punches of enjoyable flavor.

I also like to add CBD to preparations if possible, to pass along the health benefits that I enjoy, to include reduced inflammation, improved digestion and elevated mood. My choice for CBD is always Nature’s Highway, largely because of their commitment to quality and being a vertically integrated company. Nature’s Highway grows, extracts and processes their own product, controlling the quality from beginning to end.

For this preparation, I began with Maldon Sea Salt, which is usually my go-to for finishing. Maldon flakes are nice and large, and it has a really clean flavor. The salt is heated up over medium-high heat in a ten-inch sauté pan; once the bourbon, CBD and Liquid Smoke have been added, the alcohol flames off and the liquid is quickly absorbed by the salt, with the excess evaporating away.

Almost any kind of herbs or spices, even vanilla bean, can be infused into salt by first distilling the ingredients with your vodka of choice, then adding that flavored concentrate to a hot pan with salt as I did with this preparation. In this case, I wanted a salt that would complement a pastrami-cured beef tenderloin. One of the great things about this salt is that the shelf life is indefinite. A little bit goes a long way, and the remainder can hang out on your shelf until you have need of it again, as long as it’s stored in an airtight container and isn’t allowed to absorb moisture.

 

 

CBD Smoked Bourbon Sea Salt

Yield: Approximately 55 grams/2 oz.

Maldon Sea Salt 50 Grams

Evan Williams Bourbon

12

Grams

Liquid Smoke

2

Grams

Hydrobond CBD

1.4

Grams

METHOD:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a sauté pan over low heat.
  2. The alcohol in the bourbon will flame off; continue to stir lightly until all liquid has been absorbed by the salt and the mixture is dry.