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Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

The Bottom Line

With Maldon Sea Salt, you can make everything from green beans to watermelon salad taste like it came out of the kitchen of a four-star restaurant for roughly the price of a latte and muffin at Starbucks.

Pros

* Dramatically enhances the flavor of food, especially vegetables.
* Less expensive than typical "gourmet" sea salts.
* Provides a delicately satisfying mouth feel.
* Only need to use a little to get a lot of flavor.

Cons

* Not available in most supermarkets.
* More expensive than regular salt.
* Only to be used as a finishing salt -- not for baking.

Description

* Light, flaky pyramid crystals of sea salt that melt in your mouth.
* Around $6.50 a box.
* Can be purchased in bulk online.
* Available online or at specialty stores like Williams-Sonoma.

Guide Review - Maldon sea salt Will Transform Your Cooking

Every so often, you can add a little something new to a recipe, and whoosh! The difference rocks your world.

Such was the case the first time I tried Maldon sea salt.

A few years ago, Slate magazine did an informal taste test of popular gourmet sea salts. They tested a wide variety of popular salts on everything from a cucumber to pasta sauce, french fries, and plain, on the finger.

Maldon came out on top. With a price of around $6.50 a box, I figured it was worth a try.

I expected it to work well for me, in the way that a new peeler or measuring cup works well. Nice, but nothing to really comment on. I wasn't prepared for how much it would make in the overall flavor of my food.

My family actually commented on how much better my Roasted Green Beans tasted. And once, when I was out, I came home to find my 9-year-old rooting around in my spice cabinet to find the Maldon salt so her plain microwave-baked potato could taste the way I made it taste the night before.

The beauty of Maldon sea salt lies in its size and shape. It's not the typical chunky round crystal of most sea salts. Rather, it is a flaky pyramid. Somehow the extra surface area adds both extra crunch and lightness on the tongue.

And because it is so flavorful, a little goes a long way. A mere 1/2 teaspoon tossed with a pound of cooked broccoli is enough to make a statement.

Related : Molten Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

Picture Of

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Oven Roasted Green Beans are sweet and tender. Once you've learned how to cook Fresh Green Beans this way, you'll never go back to boiling again. The only thing you need to add to these oven-roasted green beans is a little sea salt.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

* 1-1/2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
* 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1/2 tsp. sea salt, such as Maldon

Preparation

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Using your hands, toss fresh green beans with olive oil to make sure they are evenly coated. Spread out in an even layer on a heavy baking sheet or an enameled cast iron pan, such as the Mario Batali pizza pan (yes - this pizza pan works great for roasting).

3. Place on middle rack of oven and roast 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Roast another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Watch carefully to make sure green beans don't burn. They should be well-browned, but not burned.

4. Immediately sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

Related : Molten Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe