Equipment
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 100 g coarse sea salt, dry
- 3 g dried bay leaves
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 0 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 388 mg
- Potassium
- 0 mg
- Calcium
- 0 mg
- Iron
- 0.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 0 mg
- Phosphorus
- 0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Folate
- 0 mcg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Remove and discard the tough central stems from the dried bay leaves. This ensures a fine, even powder without sharp shards.
Place the destemmed bay leaves into a spice grinder. Pulse until they form a very fine powder.
Add the coarse sea salt to the grinder with the bay leaf powder. Pulse two to three times just to combine, taking care not to over-grind the salt into a fine dust.
Transfer the infused salt to a clean, dry airtight container. Let it rest for 15 minutes before opening to allow airborne dust to settle and the essential oils to permeate the salt.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure your spice grinder is completely dry; even a single drop of moisture will cause the salt to clump and compromise the long-term storage of the condiment.
- Use high-quality dried bay leaves that still retain a subtle green hue. Avoid brown, dusty leaves, as their essential oils have largely evaporated, leading to a dull flavor.
- For a coarser, more visually appealing finishing salt, skip the final grinder pulses. Instead, toss the bay leaf dust and flaky sea salt together in a small bowl until thoroughly coated.
- The flavor of the salt will intensify over the first week of storage as the oils from the bay leaves continue to migrate into the salt crystals.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Salt contains large, sharp shards of bay leaf
Cause: Leaves were not ground finely enough or stems were left in
Fix: Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to catch the large pieces
Prevention: Remove central stems and grind leaves fully into a powder before adding salt
Salt clumped together immediately
Cause: Moisture in the spice grinder or container
Fix: Spread on a baking sheet and leave in a warm, dry spot or an oven set to 50C for 30 minutes to dry out
Prevention: Ensure all equipment is bone dry before starting
Cultural Context
Bay leaves have been a cornerstone of Mediterranean cooking since antiquity, traditionally used whole to flavor soups and stews before being discarded prior to serving. Grinding the leaves directly into salt is a modern zero-waste technique that captures their volatile essential oils entirely, providing a highly fragrant, savory depth to finished dishes.
