This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
How to make fleur de sel (salt flakes)
French "fleur de sel" is a salt with a special texture, formed by the action of the wind on salt marshs. The wind dries the surface of the water which has a high salt concentration (this will later become sea salt) producing thin flaky crystals.
1 hour 7 min.
Easy
15 g
1 IngredientLast modified on: May 4th 2011
For 15 g, you will need:
- 1
500 ml sea water - Total weight: 500 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 7 min.
Cooking: 1 hour
All in all: 1 hour 7 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 2 min.
Pour 500 ml sea water into a pan on the lowest heat possible.
Stage 2 - ⌛ 1 hour
As the water evaporates, crystals of salt will start to appear on the surface...
Stage 3
...until the water has entirely disappeared.
Stage 4 - ⌛ 5 min.
Scrape the bottom of the pan and you will have your "fleur de sel" salt flakes.
Remarks
It's worth noting that all types of salt have the same basic taste (unless of course there is something added). What "fleur se sel" offers is a different texture, rather than taste, and it is for scattering over the top of dishes rather than mixing in, as this adds nothing different from normal salt.
Keeping: Several months in an airtight jar.
Source: Home made, based on a tip by Hervé This.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 RDI: 0 % |
| Per 100 g | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 RDI: 0 % |
This recipe uses (among others)
Sea water
Like these other recipes: Ocean bread, ... See them all 1
Other recipes you may also like
Chestnut cake
This delightful cake is doubly chestnutty: it contains chestnut flour, and sweet chestnut purée. August 28th 2025357 K5 1 hour 15 min.
Fruit crumble
A fruit pudding: very easy to do and delicious: just a layer of fruit with a golden crunchy topping. February 21th 2011375 K4.0 1 hour 15 min.
Gingerbread
Maybe this recipe will bring back memories. February 21th 2011301 K4.2 1 hour 4 min.
Passion fruit jellies
Usually to make fruit jellies or (fruit "paste"), it's like jam but you need to cook fruit pulp and sugar much longer. Unfortunately, this long cooking is bad for both vitamins and flavour. In this recipe we use a special jam gelling agent, to reduce cooking time as much as possible . July 4th 2018352 K4 2 hours 30 min.
Soft fruits in sabayon
This recipe is made by briefly cooking an assortment of soft fruits (raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, currants...) with a little sugar to glaze them. They are served in a small dish, covered with a delicious sabayon which can be lightly "burned" on surface. February 21th 2011282 K3.9 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-04-12)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe (as 5 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 4 comments already posted on this recipe
Fleur de Sel is not made, it is the first hand harvested of the delicate and tasty flakes on top of the salt fields. What you are making is salt FLAKES. I actually want to make salt flakes so I will use your instructions.
Fleur de Sel is sold by the name of the salt fields or regions such as the Fleur de Sel (flower of the salt- French) de Guerande. It is one of the more coveted Fleur de sel salts in France. Because it is hand harvested, it costs considerably more than gross salt and is considering a 'finishing salt'. That is the salt sprinkled on the food on your plate just before it is eaten.