---
title: "Season generously: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "To season generously is to salt food more than feels natural, often well ahead of cooking, so it tastes seasoned all the way through."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/season-generously"
---

# Season generously

To season generously is to salt food more than feels natural, often well ahead of cooking, so it tastes seasoned all the way through.

Also called Season well, Salt generously, Season liberally.

"Season generously" means use a good amount of salt, and often pepper, more than a light sprinkle. Recipes say it for thick cuts of meat, whole birds, roast vegetables and pasta water, where a little salt on the surface has to flavor a lot of food inside. It does not mean make the food salty. It means make sure the food is properly seasoned.

## How to do it

1. [Pat dry](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pat-dry) meat or fish first so the salt sticks.
2. Use coarse kosher-style salt or flaky salt if you can. It is easier to see and spread than fine table salt.
3. Hold your hand 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches) above the food and sprinkle so the salt falls evenly.
4. Cover all sides, including the edges.
5. As a guide for meat, use about 1 percent of the meat's weight in salt, about 1 teaspoon of fine salt per 500 g (1 pound).
6. For thick cuts and roasts, salt 1 to 24 hours ahead, uncovered in the fridge. This is a [dry brine](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dry-brine). Otherwise salt just before cooking.

## Why it works

Salt only works where it reaches. On a thick steak or roast, all the salt goes on the outside, so you need more than seems right to season the whole bite. Given time, salt draws out juices, dissolves in them and is drawn back into the meat. For vegetables and pasta water, much of the salt stays behind in the pan or the water, so you need to start with more.

## Common mistakes

* Salting from close up. You get salty patches and bare spots.
* Salting meat 5 to 30 minutes before cooking. The surface is wet with drawn-out juices and does not brown well. Salt right before, or an hour or more ahead.
* Seasoning generously when the dish has other salty parts, like soy sauce, cheese, bacon or stock. Season lightly and [adjust](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/adjust-the-seasoning) at the end.
* Using the same volume of fine table salt as coarse salt. Fine salt packs more into a spoon and tastes much saltier.

## In recipes

"Season generously with salt and pepper" is the common form. "Season to taste" means start smaller and adjust as you go. A pinch of [finishing salt](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/finishing-salt) on top before serving is a separate step.

## Related terms

* [Dry brineTo dry brine is to salt meat ahead of time and leave it uncovered in the fridge. It seasons deeply, keeps meat juicy and gives crisp skin, with no bucket.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/dry-brine)
* [Adjust the seasoningTo adjust the seasoning is to taste a dish at the end and add salt, acid, pepper or sweetness until it tastes right. Here is how to do it in steps.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/adjust-the-seasoning)
* [Pat dryTo pat dry is to blot the surface of meat, fish or vegetables with paper towels before cooking. A dry surface browns well and does not spit in hot oil.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pat-dry)
* [To tasteTo taste means you decide how much to add by tasting as you go. It is used for salt, pepper, acid and heat, where preferences and ingredients vary.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/to-taste)
* [Finishing saltFinishing salt is a flaky or coarse salt sprinkled on food just before serving, for a crunchy texture and a bright burst of salt rather than for seasoning.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/finishing-salt)
* [Salted pasta waterSalted pasta water seasons pasta from the inside as it cooks, and its starch helps sauce cling. Here is how much salt to add and how to use it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/salted-pasta-water)

[More in recipe phrases](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/recipe-phrases)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)