A super simple but incredibly powerful seasoned salt to add intense depth, flavor and a burst of umami to your dishes! A wonderful all-purpose seasoning, keep a bowl of this Porcini Salt at your table and watch as your guest’s eyes widen when they taste it!
One of my very favorite seasonings, it’s also the simplest to make with only TWO INGREDIENTS!
If you’ve been following my blog for a good length of time you’re probably well aware of my passion for porcini mushrooms. Specifically, dried porcini mushrooms ground into a powder and added to everything from soups, stews, gravies, sauces, casseroles, and more for the ultimate dose of umami. It’s my secret cooking weapon! Even for those who don’t like mushrooms, the small addition of ground porcini adds intense flavor, depth and earthiness to any dish without actually tasting like mushrooms.
Unlike adding ground porcini mushrooms TO the dishes as part of the cooking process, this porcini salt is for sprinkling ON your dishes as a seasoning. Keep it at the table along with your pepper mill and allow guests to add a pinch of porcini salt to their food.
Dried porcini mushrooms, especially the best ones that are imported from France or Italy, are pricey but the good news is that a very little goes a long way. My recipe calls for double the amount of salt to the porcini mushrooms (a 2:1 ratio) and you can use even less porcini mushrooms if you prefer a more subtle flavor.
How to Use Porcini Salt
Sprinkle this porcini salt over your steamed or grilled veggies; baked, mashed or roasted potatoes; salads, rice, risotto, pasta, polenta, grits, scrambled eggs, popcorn, meat and poultry dishes, in rubs and dipping oils. It’s like umami-rich seasoned salt with a flavor unlike any other!
And you can give it away as a totally unexpected, unique and classy hostess gift!
What Kind of Salt Do I Need?
Use a good flaked sea salt. I recommend either fleur de sel or Maldon salt. These salts are a little different with unique properties of their own. Fleur de sel, from France, is slightly grayer in color and has more evenly sized flakes that are very moist with an almost “melting” effect. Maldon salt, from England, is pure white in color and is dry with irregular, uniquely pyramid-shaped crystals that are crunchy. Both have been around for centuries, are considered the best of the best flaked sea salts, and both are good choices; experiment to see which one you prefer for this porcini salt.
Maldon salt is significantly cheaper (I’m still working through my 3.1 pound tub of it that I picked up on Amazon for less than $25. It’s my second tub so far and it’s amazing how fast you can go through it sprinkling it over homemade focaccia. I used to use fleur de sel for focaccia but the crunch of Malden on the bread is fantastic!). You can also get a smaller 8 oz package of it for around $6. I brought back a lifetime supply of Le Saunier De Camargue fleur de sel from our most recent trip to southern France (much cheaper there than here!). You can get a 4.4 ounce package of it for around $14. (Note: These prices reflect the time this article was written and can vary.) You can also find these flaked salts in local specialty shops and in some well-stocked grocery stores.
I like a mixture of textures in my porcini salt so I coarsely grind a portion of the flaked salt and stir in the remaining flakes.
Porcini Salt Recipe
Let’s get started!
Measure out the flaked sea salt and dried porcini mushrooms. For measuring purposes, if the porcini mushrooms are large break them up into smaller pieces. (Note: The measurements do not remotely have to be exact. You can experiment with different ratios, increasing the salt or mushroom quantities.)
Using a coffee/spice grinder grind the porcini mushrooms to a powder.
Add 2 tablespoons of the flaked salt and pulse two or three times to break up the salt but not pulverize it.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flaked salt.
Store in an airtight jar in a cool place. Will keep for a few months.
Enjoy!
For more delicious homemade seasoning blends be sure to try our:
- Za’atar
- Dukkah
- Chili Powder
- Chinese Five Spice
- Greek Seasoning
- Seasoned Salt
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Curry Powder
- Pot Roast Seasoning
- Garam Masala
- Creole Seasoning
- Berbere
- Panch Phoron
- Mixed Spice
Porcini Salt
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons flaked sea salt
- we recommend Maldon salt
- or fleur de sel (see blog post for a discussion about the differences in these two salts)
- 2 tablespoons dried porcini mushroom pieces
Instructions
- Using a coffee/spice grinder grind the porcini mushrooms to a powder. Add 2 tablespoons of the flaked salt and pulse two or three times to break up the salt but not pulverize it. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flaked salt. Store in an airtight jar in a cool place. Will keep for a few months.Makes approx. 1/4 cup of porcini salt.
Dan Schmidt says
less of a comment, more of a question: dried porcini mushrooms are notorious for having sand; do you rinse them, then allow them to dry again?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Dan, I’ve actually never once encountered that problem. I would imagine where/how they’re grown and how they’re processed plays a big role in that. You can try the method you mentioned. Or try putting the dried porcini in a strainer and vigorously shake them around to release and eliminate any sand.