Worth their salt (2)

The salt slab "cooks" the bottoms of the prawns by drawing out the moisture from the meat and enhances their natural sweetness. My personal favorite, Duck Two Ways, is made with pan-fried duck foie gras and home-cured duck ham seasoned with the slightly spicy Viking Java Mix salt. The warm, creamy foie gras, the saltiness of the dry and soft duck ham, and the sweet and sour of the caramelized green apple gave this dish great textures and flavors.

We then had the risotto rosso, a vibrant red-colored rice dish, made using prawn heads cooled in ice and then heated in a pan to attain the bright red color and prawn flavor. Persian Blue salt was grated at the table over this dish, which is served with Molassol caviar and Maltese scampi.

Chef Magnano explained that this salt loses its tang if left out after grating, so it must be served freshly grated. Try the dish without the grated salt first and then again with.

The tender Black Angus tagliata is made with grass-fed beef and served with warm rocket jelly and the Saharan Hoarfrost salt. This beautifully fluffy salt forms in the cold Sahara and looks just like the snow version. Hoarfrost salt was probably the saltiest of the salts we sampled and should be used sparingly.

The Salt Discovery Menu is priced at HK$1,288 per person (with wine and champagne pairing HK$1,888; with Salt Discovery cocktail collection HK$1,688). The dishes can also be enjoyed as part of the a la carte menu.

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn

IF YOU GO

Armani/Aqua

2/F, Landmark Chater, 8 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong.

852-3583-2828.

Special menu cost per person: HK$1,500-2,000 ($194-258).

Recommended: Blue Persian Margarita, Three Prawns, Duck Two Ways, Black Angus Tagliata.