How Do I Unsalt a Dish?
The time might come when an amateur chef will have an unintended salty dish in the meal that can't be served to guests. Then the question arises whether to just discard the dish or try that rumored trick of "unsalting." Various steps can be taken to reduce the saltiness, with at least one method thought to be a myth but that’s still workable with some dishes. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 1 or 2 peeled raw potatoes
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 glass of wine
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- Lemon juice
- 1 cup of unflavored white rice
Instructions
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1
Place one or two peeled raw potatoes into any dish that has too much salt and let sit for half an hour. Keep in mind this technique has been said to be a myth or at least not to work with every food but it generally does the trick with salty rice dishes and sauces. The potato absorbs salt.
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2
Add ½ cup of water very carefully to a dish that allows extra room. Apply water mainly to stews or soups. Do this in very carefully measured doses so the water doesn’t override the intended flavor of the stew or soup.
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3
Pour in ½ glass of wine to help override the saltiness. Be careful how much liquor you pour in.
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4
Add any extra core ingredients you used in the dish. This can mean adding more meat, beans or any grains. Use only as much as room allows in the dish without making it obvious you did a cover-up job.
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5
Add ¼ cup vinegar gradually to your dish while tasting after each pour to see if the salty taste has finally lessened. You can try lemon juice as well.
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6
Cook 1 cup of unflavored white rice and add it to your dish (if rice would work with the other ingredients). White rice in a main dish can override any unintended excessive seasoning.
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7
When all else fails, make a whole new batch of your dish without any salt and combine it with the dish that was too salty. This helps to create the balance of salt that you intended in the first place.
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Tips & Warnings
Prevent this problem by always adding gradual pinches of salt and tasting your dish each time before adding any more to ensure perfect salt balance.
