Salts

Salts: fleur de sel, coarse salt and fine salts for cooking full of character

Salts selected to season, reveal textures and accompany every kind of everyday cooking

Salt, the small gesture that changes everything

Provence d’Antan salts accompany everyday cooking as well as more creative recipes. Fleur de sel, coarse salt, fine salt or salts with more distinctive profiles: each texture has its own use, intensity and moment.

Coarse salt readily accompanies cooking water and oven preparations, while fleur de sel naturally finds its place as a finishing touch. Selected with high standards and elaborated with care in France when used in our compositions, our salts invite you to season with precision, favouring taste, texture and the balance of the dish.

What does salt mean at Provence d’Antan?

Salt may seem simple. And yet, just a few crystals can completely change the perception of a dish.

At Provence d’Antan, we approach it as a true ingredient: through its texture, origin, grain size and the way it accompanies other flavours.

Coarse salt that crunches under the tooth does not tell the same story as fleur de sel delicately placed on a ripe tomato.

This is the simple cooking we love: few gestures, good ingredients and the right seasoning at the right moment.

What is the difference between fleur de sel, coarse salt and fine salt?

Fleur de sel: delicate and crunchy

Fleur de sel is made up of fine, delicate crystals harvested from the surface of salt ponds.

It is mainly used as a finishing touch in order to preserve its texture.

Just a few crystals are enough on:

• tomatoes;
• grilled vegetables;
• fish;
• meat;
• fresh cheese;
• or even certain desserts.

Coarse salt: ideal for cooking

Coarse salt has larger crystals.

It is particularly suited to:

• cooking water;
• potatoes;
• vegetables;
• certain marinades;
• salt crusts;
• oven cooking.

Fine salt: precise and versatile

Fine salt distributes easily throughout a preparation.

It is suitable for sauces, doughs, batters, vinaigrettes and recipes requiring even seasoning.

How to choose your salt

For a refined finishing touch

Choose fleur de sel.

Its texture allows you to bring a final touch just before serving.

For everyday cooking

Fine salt is versatile and easy to dose.

For cooking

Coarse salt naturally finds its place in cooking water, oven-baked dishes or certain marinades.

For more creative cooking

Salts combined with spices, plants or smoky profiles make it possible to give a distinctive personality to vegetables, grilled dishes or plant-based preparations.

When should you salt a dish?

Before cooking

Salt can be used in a marinade, in dough or to season certain vegetables before placing them in the oven.

During cooking

In a sauce or slow-cooked dish, it can be added gradually in order to control the balance.

After cooking

Fleur de sel or certain salts with character are particularly interesting as a finishing touch.

The right reflex remains simple: salt gradually and taste before adding more.

How to use fleur de sel

Fleur de sel deserves to be used sparingly.

Just a few crystals are generally enough to bring both a saline touch and a delicately crunchy texture.

Try it on:

Heirloom tomatoes

A drizzle of olive oil and a few crystals are enough.

Grilled fish

Add fleur de sel after cooking to preserve its texture.

Burrata

A few tomatoes, olive oil, aromatic herbs and a pinch of fleur de sel.

Roasted vegetables

Add it just before serving.

Dark chocolate or caramel

A small quantity can create an interesting contrast in certain sweet recipes.

Coarse salt or fleur de sel: which should you choose for barbecue?

For a marinade or certain types of cooking, coarse salt can be interesting.

For finishing meat, fish or grilled vegetables, a few crystals of fleur de sel bring a different texture.

The choice therefore depends less on the ingredient than on the moment when the salt is added.

Seasoned salts: another way to cook

Combining salt with spices or plants makes it possible to bring several seasoning gestures together in one.

Depending on the compositions, a salt can bring a more botanical, spiced, smoky or Mediterranean note.

These salts are particularly practical for:

• roasted vegetables;
• grilled dishes;
• fish;
• potatoes;
• eggs;
• salads;
• marinades.

They also make it easy to vary the same recipe.

6 simple ideas to rediscover salt

Tomatoes and fleur de sel

Simplicity works particularly well with seasonal products.

Potatoes with coarse salt

A simple cooking method where salt directly accompanies the preparation.

Grilled vegetables and spiced salt

A quick way to bring more character to a plancha.

Soft-boiled egg and fleur de sel

A few crystals are enough to finish the plate.

Roasted fish

A light seasoning before cooking, then a touch of fleur de sel at the table.

Chocolate and fleur de sel

The contrast between sweetness, bitterness and salinity offers another way to use salt.

How to store salt

Salt keeps very well when protected from humidity.

Use a properly closed container and avoid leaving it directly near sources of steam.

If the salt contains plants or spices, this precaution is even more important in order to preserve the quality of the composition.

What is the origin of our salts?

Not all salts come from the same territory or the same harvesting method.

Sea salt, fleur de sel and salts from other regions have different characteristics linked to their origin and crystallisation.

At Provence d’Antan, we clearly distinguish the origin of the salt from the place where our compositions are created.

Our blends and creations are elaborated with care in France, from salts and ingredients selected for their quality and culinary interest.

Salt and diet: a few reference points

Salt is an essential condiment in cooking, but its consumption should remain moderate.

Nutritional recommendations encourage limiting excessive salt intake in the daily diet.

The best reflex is to taste before adding more salt and to use aromatic herbs, spices, peppers and citrus fruits to vary seasonings.

People following a low-sodium diet or with a particular medical situation should follow the recommendations given by their healthcare professional.

FAQ — Salts

Provence d’Antan salts bring together fleur de sel, coarse salt, fine salt and salts with herbs or spices to accompany everyday recipes. During cooking, in marinades or as a finishing touch, they bring relief, balance and character to vegetables, meats, fish, grilled dishes, sauces and salads. A selection designed for simple cooking, with precision and creativity.

1. What types of salt can be used in cooking?

In cooking, you can use coarse salt, fine salt, fleur de sel or salts with herbs and spices. Each format has its own use: coarse salt for cooking, fine salt for everyday seasoning, fleur de sel as a finishing touch and composed salts to bring a more botanical, spiced or creative note.

2. What is the difference between coarse salt and fine salt?

Coarse salt has larger crystals and is often used in cooking water, broths, slow-cooked dishes, marinades or salt-crust cooking. Fine salt dissolves more quickly and is easy to use in sauces, vinaigrettes, vegetables, eggs, meats, fish and everyday preparations.

3. What is fleur de sel used for?

Fleur de sel is ideal as a finishing touch. It is added at the last moment, directly on the plate or on the served dish, in order to preserve its delicate and lightly crunchy texture. It pairs very well with vegetables, grilled meats, fish, salads, eggs, potatoes, fresh cheeses and certain sweet-and-savoury recipes.

4. When should coarse salt be used?

Coarse salt is mainly used during cooking: in water for pasta, rice or vegetables, in broths, soups, slow-cooked dishes or salt-crust cooking. It can also be used in certain marinades or rustic preparations. Its format allows for a different dosage from fine salt.

5. When should fine salt be used?

Fine salt is practical for everyday seasoning. It mixes easily into sauces, vinaigrettes, cold preparations, vegetables, eggs, meats, fish or cooked dishes. It is useful when you want even distribution throughout a recipe.

6. What is a herb salt?

A herb salt combines salt with culinary herbs such as thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, savory, parsley or other plants depending on the recipes. It brings both a mineral touch and a botanical note. It is very well suited to vegetables, grilled dishes, fish, salads, marinades and potatoes.

7. What is a spice salt?

A spice salt combines salt with spices or condiments such as pepper, paprika, mild chilli, turmeric, cumin, garlic or other ingredients depending on the recipes. It makes it possible to season a dish quickly while giving it more character. It is particularly useful for grilled dishes, roasted vegetables, marinades or plancha recipes.

8. How should a herb or spice salt be used?

A herb or spice salt can be used before cooking, during cooking or as a finishing touch. On roasted vegetables, it can be added with a drizzle of oil before placing them in the oven. On meat or fish, it can be used in a marinade. As a finishing touch, it brings a more precise note just before serving.

9. Which salt should you choose for grilled dishes?

For grilled dishes, you can choose fleur de sel as a finishing touch, coarse salt for certain cooking methods, or a salt with herbs and spices to bring more character.

Salts combined with pepper, thyme, rosemary, paprika or mild chilli are very well suited to meats, fish, vegetables and skewers.

10. Which salt should you choose for vegetables?

For vegetables, fine salt may be enough for everyday cooking.

A herb salt brings a Mediterranean touch to courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms or carrots. Fleur de sel can be added as a finishing touch on roasted vegetables, a salad or grilled vegetables.

11. Which salt should you choose for fish?

For fish, fleur de sel is ideal as a finishing touch, as it respects the delicacy of the product.

A herb salt can also accompany oven baking, papillote cooking or plancha cooking. It is recommended to dose lightly so as not to mask the finesse of the fish.

12. Can salts be used in a marinade?

Yes, salts can be used in a marinade, notably with olive oil, lemon, herbs, spices, pepper or garlic depending on the recipe.

However, they should be dosed with care, as salt penetrates the ingredients and can quickly dominate the preparation if the marinade is long.

13. How should salt be dosed in cooking?

Salt should be added gradually. It is preferable to start with a small quantity, taste, then adjust.

Composed salts with herbs or spices should be dosed with even greater attention, as they bring both salt and a flavour signature.

14. Do herb salts already contain spices?

It depends on the recipes. Some herb salts contain only herbs, while others also combine spices, pepper, garlic or condiments.

It is important to check the exact composition in order to choose the salt best suited to the recipe.

15. How should salts be stored?

Salts should be stored in a dry place, away from humidity.

Salts with herbs or spices should also be protected from light and heat in order to preserve the finesse of the associated ingredients. It is recommended to close the jar or sachet properly after each use.

16. Why choose Provence d’Antan salts?

Choosing Provence d’Antan salts means favouring a range designed to accompany everyday recipes with precision, relief and creativity.

Fleur de sel, coarse salt, fine salt or salts with herbs and spices make it possible to vary seasonings while respecting the taste of the main ingredients. It also means choosing a house attentive to quality, taste and the precision of its compositions.