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Start Seasoning with M. Gilles Hervy French Sea Salt

19 May 2016

Sea Sel by the Seashore

M. Gilles Hervy sea salts of Guérande from Brittany, France

An age-old tradition

The sea salts of Guérande—celebrated for their fine flavor since salt harvesting began in Brittany, France 1,200 years ago—are the crème de la crème of French sea salts. Gilles Hervy, artisan paludier (salt maker), still harvests his Fleur de Sel and Sel Gris using age-old traditional methods (pictured to the right).

A flavor above the rest

For his flavored salts, Gilles blends his traditional Sel Gris with a variety of herbs and spices, creating expertly balanced seasonings that still highlight the quality and taste of his gray salt.

The Sel Gris with Moroccan Spices finds harmony with warm spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon and fenugreek. And his Sel Gris with Herbs—one of our all-time favorite seasonings for roasted chicken—gets an herbaceous boost from thyme, rosemary, basil and bay leaf.

These French sea salts are a staple in our kitchen for both cooking and finishing. Read on for our top 10 ways to season with M. Gilles Hervy sea salts.

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What's the difference between Fleur de Sel and Sel Gris?

Fleur de Sel—collected from one afternoon's harvest of the delicate top layer of the salt ponds—has a fine texture with moist crystals and a clean aroma of the sea. Keep Fleur de Sel on hand to finish your favorite dishes.

Sel Gris is harvested about every two weeks and raked from underneath the surface of the salt ponds. The large crystals get their namesake color and subtle briny flavor from the mineral content of the clay lining the salt ponds. Use Sel Gris as an all-purpose salt for both cooking and garnishing.

10 Ways to Sel-ebrate with M. Gilles Hervy French Sea Salt

Fleur de Sel

1. For an easy Provençal appetizer, serve French breakfast radishes with good unsalted butter, Fleur de Sel and slices of sweet baguette. And don’t forget a glass of ice-cold rosé!

2. Top slices of boiled Yukon Gold potatoes with flakes of Cod Fillets in Olive Oil, a spritz of lemon and a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel.

3. Sprinkle Fleur de Sel over David Lebovitz’s Salted Butter Caramel-Chocolate Mousse.

Sel Gris

4. Garnish chocolate chip cookies with a sprinkling of Sel Gris before baking.

5. Mix Sel Gris into unsalted butter and dollop over a perfectly-seared steak.

Sel Gris with Moroccan Spices

6. Toss baby carrots with extra virgin olive oil, season with Sel Gris with Moroccan Spices and roast at 450°F for 10 – 15 minutes, or until tender. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped mint and more Sel Gris, to taste.

7. Adorn your morning avocado toast with Sel Gris with Moroccan Spices and grating of lemon zest.

8. Season lamb kebabs with Sel Gris with Moroccan Spices before grilling.

Sel Gris with Herbs

9. Liberally season a whole chicken—inside and out—with Sel Gris with Herbs before roasting.

10. Top heirloom tomato wedges with extra virgin olive oil, crumbled goat cheese, chopped fresh herbs and Sel Gris with Herbs.