I have a weakness for great gourmet oils, vinegars, and spices. This makes every trip to my favorite foodie store that specializes in these three things divine torture, and an exercise in failing restraint. I try a million different flavors, and I have even been known to finish off a small cup of vinegar like a shot. I go into a foodie haze and I can't be stopped.

Last week, I met up with a friend to go to that sinisterly tasty place and made a new discovery: Halen Mon Sea Salt with Taha Vanilla, which merges sea salt from Wales with Tahitian vanilla. (Details) It's delicious -- and I say this as someone who steers clear of flavored salts. The mixture offers the sharpness of the salt with the sweetness of super-tasty vanilla. I couldn't help but buy some.



The container suggests that the salt be used with white fish, shellfish, salad dressings, or creamed vegetables. I chose the white fish and ran off to the store. Tilapia was the best looking choice, unless I broke the budget on huge scallops, so I picked up a fillet and started cooking.

I couldn't decide how I wanted to prepare it, so I went for simplicity: olive oil on parchment, layer with a good helping of green onion, then the tilapia, and then the vanilla salt. I wrapped it up, threw it in a 425 degree oven, and baked it for about 10 minutes.

The fish was sweet, although this salt would be best with really high quality, fresh fish, rather than a cheap tilapia fillet from the local grocery store. Still, it gave the fish a nice sweet creaminess. That being said, the real star was the green onion. My god, try it. Next time I make a parchment-wrapped fish fillet, I plan on use mass amounts of green onion -- enough to have an entire green onion side. Between the olive oil, the salt, and the fish juices, the onions sauteed beautifully and were melt-in-the-mouth morsels of perfection.

As for the salt -- I'm still happy, but I'm also itching for ideas: What sort of recipe would you use it in? Next, I'm thinking about chocolate topped with salt....