Can I Use Less Salt In The Butterscotch Pots?

Our answer

Nigella's Butterscotch Pots (from AT MY TABLE) are salted caramel-flavoured custards, which would be referred to as puddings in the US. The salt helps to provide some balance to the richness of the custard, as well as emphasising the smokiness of the caramel.

Everyone has a different palate when it comes to salt and in the recipe Nigella suggests ¼ teaspoon as this gave a good balance of flavour. If you have made a very dark butterscotch, which will be slightly less sweet, then you may also find the salt more noticeable. However, it is possible to reduce the amount of salt to suit your own taste. You can add a pinch or two instead of the ¼ teaspoon. You may want to taste the custard once it has cooked and cooled slightly, but if you do this please bear in mind that the taste of the salt will be more pronounced when the custard is warm and will become more muted as it chills.