Artisan’s Choice
French Grey Salt
French Grey Salt
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A piece of grilled fish, a plate of roasted vegetables, a warm slice of bread with butter: each takes on a rounder, more mineral finish with a pinch of French grey salt (sel gris) at the table. This is a finishing salt, the moist, coarse grey crystal you pinch and scatter over a dish right before it is served, where the slight crunch and earthy edge stay noticeable.
Sel gris takes its character from how it is made: raked from clay-lined coastal ponds in the old French tradition, where the clay gives it the grey color and the mineral, faintly briny edge. The crystals stay naturally damp, so they cling to food and dissolve slowly, which is exactly why cooks reserve sel gris for the finish rather than the pot.
Packed fresh in small batches in Portland.
Ingredients: sea salt (sel gris). No additives, no preservatives. Naturally gluten-free and vegan.
Common Questions
What makes French grey salt different from regular sea salt?
What makes French grey salt different from regular sea salt?
Two things: how it is made and how it behaves. Sel gris is raked from clay-lined coastal ponds, and that clay is what leaves it grey, mineral-tasting, and naturally moist. That moisture and coarse crystal make it a finishing salt with texture, rather than a fine salt that vanishes into the dish.
My dish turned out too salty and a little bitter. What happened?
My dish turned out too salty and a little bitter. What happened?
Grey salt is coarse and easy to over-scatter, and a heavy hand pushes the mineral edge toward bitter. Use less than you would fine salt, add it at the end, and taste as you go. A light pinch across the surface is enough to finish a plate.
Does it clump, and how should I store it?
Does it clump, and how should I store it?
Sel gris stays damp by nature, so some clumping is normal and not a fault. Keep it in a sealed jar or a small cellar with a spoon. If it packs down, break it up with a fork rather than adding it to a grinder, which the moisture will clog.
Does it work for baking?
Does it work for baking?
Yes. Bakers use it in chocolate tart crusts, on pretzels, and pressed onto bread dough for pockets of crunch and mineral flavor. For even seasoning inside a dough, crush the coarse crystals first so they distribute rather than sitting as large flakes.
When should I use grey salt instead of a flaky finishing salt?
When should I use grey salt instead of a flaky finishing salt?
Choose grey salt when you want a moist, mineral, earthy finish with a firm bite, as on grilled fish or roasted vegetables. Choose a light flaky salt when you want a dry, delicate crunch that melts quickly, as on chocolate or a tomato salad.
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Ingredients:
French Grey Salt
$18.00