Chef Sean MacDonald says he's always been a proponent of using salt of all kinds (often adding more than people normally would), but at his Santa Monica restaurant Bar Monette, it takes on a sweeter form.
Homemade vanilla salt, with just a touch of sugar, is used to finish a comforting yet delicious apple fritter conceptualized as an ode to her late Aunt Wendy. The salt mixture adds a savory touch to the dessert and helps enhance the natural caramel and apple in the fried donut, as well as keeping diners on their toes.
“I'm a big proponent of putting final salt on desserts just to give them little bites,” MacDonald said. “You get a sweet bite and then the next, you get a little salty, and the next, you bring out a flavor with a little more intensity because of the salt.”
Vanilla salt, developed by MacDonald and chef de cuisine Jeff Whittaker, requires scraping whole vanilla beans, allowing the salt to absorb the flavor and moisture from the seed paste and pod shells over the course. of five days. MacDonald recommends using this vanilla salt not only for fried desserts but also for freshly baked chocolate cakes, cookies, or cinnamon buns. Once infused, store Bar Monette Vanilla Salt sealed at room temperature for up to two months, if it lasts that long.
