Honey and Sea Salt: Which Salt, Salted Honey Toast and Pie

Why Salt Makes Honey Taste Better

A few flakes of salt make honey taste less flatly sweet and bring its floral or malty notes forward. Sweet then salty in the same bite is the reason salted caramel works, and honey behaves the same way.

You need very little. About 1/8 teaspoon of flaky salt per tablespoon of honey is enough for toast or cheese. Start there and add more at the table.

• **Finishing (toast, cheese, ice cream):** flaky sea salt
• **Baking, glazes, dressings:** fine sea salt or kosher salt, which dissolves
• **Dark honeys:** smoked salt
• **Cocktail rims:** coarse salt

Which Salt to Use with Honey

**Flaky sea salt (Maldon, Jacobsen, fleur de sel):** large, thin crystals that crunch and dissolve on the tongue. Use it anywhere the salt goes on last.

**Fine sea salt or kosher salt:** dissolves evenly. Use it inside a batter, glaze or dressing, where you want the salt spread through.

**Coarse sea salt:** for rimming glasses or anything that needs crunch that lasts.

**Smoked salt:** made for dark honey. Try it with buckwheat or chestnut honey on aged cheddar or grilled meat.

**Table salt:** fine for baking. On top of honey it disappears without the crunch, which is the point of finishing salt.

Flavored Salt and Honey Pairings

Flavored salts add a third note. Match the flavor to the honey:

• **Rosemary salt + orange blossom honey:** herbal and citrusy
• **Chili salt + buckwheat or wildflower honey:** sweet heat, close to hot honey
• **Black garlic salt + buckwheat honey:** savory and dark
• **Truffle salt + chestnut honey:** earthy on earthy
• **Lavender salt + lavender honey:** floral, for desserts

Honey and Sea Salt Toast

Warm toast, butter, honey, salt. Four slices.

**Ingredients:** 4 thick slices sourdough or country bread, 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons wildflower or orange blossom honey, 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt. Optional: ricotta, sliced figs, berries or toasted nuts.

• Toast the bread until deep golden.
• Butter it while hot.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over each slice.
• Scatter about 1/8 teaspoon flaky salt over each.
• Add toppings if using and eat warm.

Brown Butter Salted Honey Pie

Brooklyn's Four & Twenty Blackbirds made salted honey pie famous with its Salty Honey pie, a honey custard finished with flaked sea salt; the recipe is in the shop's 2013 pie book. This is our own simpler version with brown butter and cornstarch, not the shop's recipe. Serves 8.

**Ingredients:** one 9-inch unbaked pie crust; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 3/4 cup wildflower or orange blossom honey; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 3 large eggs; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; flaky sea salt to finish.

• Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edge.
• Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it smells nutty and the solids turn amber. Cool 5 minutes.
• Whisk the eggs, sugar, cornstarch and fine salt until smooth.
• Whisk in the browned butter, then the honey, cream and vanilla.
• Pour into the crust and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until set at the edge with a slight wobble in the middle.
• Cool at least 2 hours on a rack. Scatter flaky salt over the top just before serving.

Honey and Sea Salt on a Cheese Board

Set out two or three honeys and a small dish of flaky salt so each person salts their own bite. More combinations in our honey and cheese pairing guide.

• **Manchego + wildflower honey + flaky salt**
• **Brie + orange blossom honey + flaky salt**
• **Aged cheddar + buckwheat honey + smoked salt**
• **Goat cheese + wildflower honey + lavender salt**
• **Blue cheese + chestnut honey + flaky salt and cracked pepper**

More Ways to Use Honey and Salt

**Salted honey drizzle:** stir 1 teaspoon flaky salt into 1/4 cup honey. Spoon over grilled pork, roasted carrots or sliced peaches.

**Salted honey granola:** use honey in place of maple syrup and add 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt per batch before baking. Our honey granola recipe is a good base.

**Popcorn:** warm 2 tablespoons honey with 1 tablespoon butter, toss with popcorn and finish with flaky salt.

**Cocktail rim:** brush the rim with honey and dip in coarse salt. Good with mezcal or bourbon drinks.