Foodie Tuesday: Himalayan Salt Plate. I want.

This is one of the coolest things I've heard of in a while (well, not quote as cool as Motivational Wolf, but close).  When I mentioned that I wanted to try salt-roasting a fish (more on that later), my coworker Thais told me about the Himalaya pink salt plate her friend used to bake some delectable, flavorful fish.

So apparently you can use pink Himalayan salt like regular salt, dusted over your food, but to really take this delicacy (and I am a sucker for fancy salts) to the next level, you can buy an entire block of it, cut out of rock high in the mountains of Pakistan, that serves as an extremely versatile cooking instrument.

You can place it directly over your stovetop burner and fry an egg.  Or place it over your barbecue to grill shrimp.  Or stick it in the oven.  Food comes away with just enough saltiness plus some extra flavor from the minerals of the salt block.

You can even freeze the block and use it to serve sushi and other cold dishes!  

From the NY TImes:   

This thick 8-by-11-inch piece of solid salt, mined in Pakistan, can be used for cooking. It will not melt when placed directly on a stove burner and heated gradually. Lightly brushed with butter or oil, it will fry eggs, shrimp, fish steaks or thin slices of beef that come away with quite enough salt. The slab can go in the oven or on a grill and can also be chilled or even frozen to use for serving sushi or other seafood. It will retain the cold for an hour or more. Scrub it with a stiff brush or plastic scouring pad after use and rinse it quickly. It must be thoroughly dried overnight before heating again.

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13 responses
I'm curious about this salt plate. How does it stand up against the flames?
— Redwan Huq
whoa! never heard of a salt plate. looks beautiful.
— Maggie Cheung
Seems like an easy way to get 865% of your sodium RDA.
— Vincent Chu
I've hidden our salt shakers, and so I guess I don't need to buy a Himalayan salt plate. The pictures are great.
— George Campbell
I've been served meat on a salt plate in restaurants, but had no idea you could cook on it! That's way freakin' cool! If only I had a gas stove. Drat!
— Yvette
@Redwan I think the salt is thick enough that the flames don't affect it at all.
@Maggie yes I love the translucency, the peachy-pink color, and the veining!
@Vince Actually I think only a tiny bit of the salt comes off. Apparently you can keep using the same plate for years.
@George Why would you hide your salt shakers?
@Yvette You can still use it in the oven! :)
— Stephanie Lim
@Stephanie, redwan - The salt block does break down eventually as heating and cooling takes it's toll on the block's crystal structure. That said, they will still last a long time and the salt is perfectly usable if the block cracks.

This is a good guide for using salt blocks: http://www.atthemeadow.com/shop/index.php?main_page=page&id=11

— A visitor
I'm convinced. I'm gonna order my block soon!
— Redwan Huq
Haha I think I'm just gong to wait until Christmas for mine =)
— Stephanie Lim
It contains many elements that naturally occur in our bodies, and are easily absorbed and utilized by our cells when used as an ingredient in food or when added to warm water in the form of a bath. Himalayan salt is naturally rich in nutrients and elements, and each perfectly formed crystal contains crucial minerals including Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Iron. We can reap the benefits of all these elements by soaking in water mixed with the salt or by adding it to our food.:)
— deadseasalt
It's a great product!
— Ahmad Jamil Qadri
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