While many people have a sweet tooth, I seem to have a 'savory tooth' (if there is such a term). I covet buttery pastas, earthy whole grain bread, and spicy ethnic dishes like some people crave ice cream sundaes and chocolate cake. This is not to say that I don’t enjoy a sweet treat here and there, but I like to have a little something extra to balance out the sugar, like the addition of chili peppers. My favorite coffee drink is served at King Corona Cigars Cafe and Bar in Ybor. Their Cafe Corona is a cappuccino laced with cayenne caramel — spicy, sweet, bitter — and is delightfully warming to the stomach and the soul.
Salt is another great complement to sweet dishes. I like to use a finishing salt for flavor and texture. Finishing salt can be described as a coarse salt such as Kosher or sea salt, and you “finish” the dish by adding a sprinkle at the very end, just before serving. Unusual varieties of salt like Alder wood smoked or pink Himalayan can also add a unique touch to caramel or chocolate desserts.
Caramel seems to pop up a lot in my cooking. It has that certain balance of flavors that my palate yearns for – sweet, buttery, nutty, and yes, even salty. For a dinner I catered recently, I made shrimp and grits with bacon caramel to the bewilderment, and ultimately, the delight of my clients. A quick and easy salty-sweet treat to make is apple wedges drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with sea salt.
Here are recipes for basic caramel sauce and chocolate-dipped, sea salt dusted caramels that will surely dismiss any doubts you may be having about salt on sweet candy. One taste and your palate will never be the same.
