Wolfgang Puck's Expert Trick For Fixing Overly Salty Food

Sometimes there's a little too much enthusiasm with the salt shaker or a distracted pour from the box of special kosher salt, and suddenly your soup tastes like the sea. While oversalting a meal feels like a rookie move, even professional chefs have been there — and Wolfgang Puck is here to save the day. His simple, pro-approved solution? Add fat. According to the legendary chef, when a dish is veering into overly salty territory, the easiest and most effective way to tame the flavor isn't to start over or water things down. Instead, reach for a fatty ingredient like butter, cream, milk, or sour cream. These rich additions not only help mellow the salty flavor and dilute the dish, but they can also add a delicious silkiness to your food.

Salt is a flavor amplifier, but when you overdo it, it overpowers everything else. Fat, on the other hand, works like a buttery buffer. It coats the palate, softens sharp edges, and brings richness and balance back to the dish. This can be especially helpful in savory meals where the richness complements (not competes with) the sodium. It turns down the volume on the salt, letting the rest of the ingredients have their moment to shine. For Puck, fat in the form of a dairy product is even better. Dairy's neutral flavor and creaminess will mellow the salt while adding a silkier taste.

Many creamy ingredients will fix over-salted dishes, but you should still think through the best addition for the meal. For a salty pasta sauce, stir in heavy cream or a knob of unsalted butter to calm it down. For soups and stews, a splash of whole milk or sour cream at the end of cooking can work wonders. Not only will these ingredients add a rich, velvety texture, but they'll also help round out any salty sharpness. Whether it's cream cheese in mashed potatoes or extra milk in a creamy and cheesy cowboy casserole recipe, dairy can balance it out while also making it feel more indulgent. If you're making a vegan dish, full-fat canned coconut milk, avocado, or a healthy splash of olive oil can also work as your fatty addition. You don't want to drown the dish; you just want to smooth things over.

Speaking of types of salt to use in recipes, Puck has opinions on that, too. He isn't a fan of iodized salt for its nothing flavor and recommends sea salt, fleur de sel, or kosher salt instead. Remember to taste as you go; you can always add salt, but you can't really pull it back out. So next time you go too far with the shaker, don't stress. Add a little fat, stir it in, and pretend you meant to make it extra luscious all along. With a tub of sour cream or butter by your side, you can turn a cooking mistake into a moment of creamy recovery.