Salted_ A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, With Recipes - Mark Bitterman [41]
FLEUR DE SEL
Fleur de sel is a solar harvested salt made by evaporating saline water in open pans with energy from the sun and wind, then using rakes to harvest the fine crystals that blossom on the surface of the brine. The salt is characterized by highly irregular, relatively fine crystals and typically contains a considerable amount of residual moisture. The gustatory sensations of fleur de sel border on the mystical, yet the characteristics that give it these powers are not difficult to understand. Irregularly sized and unevenly shaped crystals are key to fleur de sel’s behavior on food and in the mouth. Smaller crystals dissolve quickly, pouring out a surge of intense salinity that subsides almost as quickly; then larger crystals break apart and dissolve, providing another wave of sensation, then another, then another—a sort of modulated flavor experience.
Upwards of 10 percent residual moisture is locked in fleur de sel crystals. Because the salt already has moisture in it, the crystals have the power to resist dissolving when they come in contact with food, allowing them to maintain their integrity on moist or steaming foods. The residual moisture also preserves the suppleness of the crystals, lending them a delicate but satisfying crunch. The resulting sensation is one of constantly shifting between acceleration and deceleration of flavor as the salt, the food, and your palate race to integrate into something cohesive.
Last, fleur de sel is loaded with trace minerals that deepen food’s flavor and round out the flavor of the salt itself. Rich in minerals, high in moisture, and complex in form, fleur de sel is the munificent king of salts, perfectly suited for all subtle foods, from fried eggs to steamed vegetables to fried fish to caramels. Fleur de sel is an elegant and practical choice as an all-around finishing salt for the kitchen and the table. In a kinder world, fleur de sel would glisten from a small dish on table of every restaurant on the planet.
QUICK-REFERENCE GUIDE TO ARTISAN SALTS
FLEUR DE SEL
MANUFACTURE: Solar evaporated sea, lake, or spring salt with fine, irregular, moist, mineral-rich crystals made by raking the crystals that blossom on the surface of a crystallizing pan. IMPACT: Commingles gently with food, adding a mild, delicate crunch. USES: Finishing salt for subtle foods. Cooking salt for specialty dishes. EXAMPLES: fleur de sel de Guérande, flor de sal do Algarve, flor de sal de Manzanillo.
SEL GRIS
MANUFACTURE: Solar evaporated sea, lake, or spring salt with coarse, irregular, moist, mineral-rich crystals made by raking crystals that accumulate on the bottom of a crystallizing pan, soon after they form. IMPACT: Deep, mineral crunch with enough moisture to ensure lasting power on the heartiest and moistest of foods. USES: Finishing salt for steaks, chops, or roasts and bean, root, or hearty vegetable dishes. Ideal all-around cooking salt. EXAMPLES: sel gris de l’Ile de Ré, grigio di Cervia, The Meadow Sel Gris.
TRADITIONAL SALT
MANUFACTURE: Catch-all category for solar and fire evaporated salt made by periodically or seasonally harvesting crystals accumulated on the bottom of a crystallizing pan. Harvest might employ large plows drawn across a salt pan in Vietnam or spatulas scooping from a kettle in Denmark. IMPACT: Varies widely from salt to salt, though often hard and brittle to the tooth and bright and intense on the palate. USES: Finishing salt taking advantage of dramatic color and crystal formation and diverse cultural associations. Many traditional salts make good all-around cooking salts. EXAMPLES: Trapani, alaea volcanic, Maine coast.
FLAKE SALT
MANUFACTURE: