Seasoning
Applying salt, pepper, or spices to food to enhance its natural flavour.
What You're Doing
Applying salt, pepper, spices, or other flavourings to food to enhance its natural taste. Seasoning can happen at multiple stages — before, during, and after cooking — each serving a different purpose.
Visual Cues
Look for these signs to know your technique is working:
- Even distribution of seasoning across surface
- Salt crystals dissolving on contact with moisture
- Spices becoming fragrant when warmed
- Food tasting balanced after adjustment
Why It Works
Salt enhances flavour by suppressing bitterness and amplifying sweetness and umami. Early seasoning allows salt to penetrate through diffusion, while finishing seasoning adds texture and brightness.
Failure Modes
Avoid these common problems:
- Under-seasoning - flat, dull flavour
- Over-seasoning - overpowering and irreversible
- Seasoning only at the end - salt stays on the surface
- Not tasting as you go - no feedback loop
Requirements & Guidelines
- Season in stages — before, during, and after cooking
- Taste and adjust throughout the process
- Account for salt in other ingredients (stock, cheese, soy sauce)
Recipes Using This Technique
Technical Details (CKL)
season "chicken breast" with "salt" amount 5g
season "chicken breast" with "pepper" amount 2g