Finishing salt
Finishing salt is a flaky or coarse salt sprinkled on food just before serving, for a crunchy texture and a bright burst of salt rather than for seasoning.
Also called Flaky salt, Flaky sea salt.
Finishing salt is salt you add at the very end, right before food goes to the table. It has large flakes or crystals that do not dissolve straight away. You taste it as small bursts of salt and feel a light crunch. It is not meant to season food through; that is the job of the salt you add while cooking.
How to use it
- Sprinkle a small pinch over sliced steak, roasted vegetables, fried eggs, avocado toast or ripe tomatoes.
- Add a few flakes to chocolate desserts, caramel and cookies. Salt sharpens sweet flavors.
- Scatter it on focaccia or bread rolls just before baking.
- Hold your fingers about 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches) above the food and let the salt fall. It spreads more evenly than when you drop it from close up.
Common kinds:
- Flaky sea salt: thin, pyramid-shaped flakes that crush easily between your fingers.
- Fleur de sel: fine, damp crystals raked by hand from the surface of sea salt ponds, traditionally on the coast of France.
- Sel gris: coarse, grayish, slightly damp sea salt.
- Smoked or flavored salts: salts smoked over wood or mixed with herbs, citrus or chili.
Substitutes
Coarse kosher salt works in a pinch. It has a lighter crunch. Fine table salt does not work as a finishing salt: it dissolves at once and tastes harsh.
How to store it
Keep it in a small covered dish or jar near the stove so you can take a pinch. Keep it away from steam, which makes the flakes clump.
Common mistakes
- Using finishing salt to season during cooking. It is expensive and its texture is lost.
- Sprinkling it on wet food or sauces long before serving. The flakes dissolve.
- Forgetting the salt already in the dish. Taste first and adjust the seasoning during cooking, then add only a little finishing salt.
In recipes
"Finish with flaky salt", "sprinkle with sea salt to serve" and "a pinch of fleur de sel" all mean finishing salt. It is part of the last touch of plating.
Recipes that use it
185 recipes from the sites we collect.
Lamm med limeaioli
www.arla.se · 30 min
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Kotlettrad i ugn
www.arla.se · 60 min
Catarinas ostsnacks
www.arla.se · 15 min
Sallad med granatäpple, betor, fikon och getost
www.arla.se · 40 min
Fattoush
www.arla.se · 30 min
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Marinerad tofu i ugn
www.arla.se · 40 min
Grillad fisk med kryddsmör
www.arla.se · 30 min
Krispigt och fröigt knäckebröd
www.arla.se · 120 min
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Lax i ugn med sparris och grönt smör
www.arla.se · 45 min
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Rödbetor med getost och pinjenötter
www.arla.se · 15 min
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Ädelostpizza
www.arla.se · 35 min
Crostini med sparris och prosciutto
www.arla.se · 30 min
Related terms
- Adjust the seasoningTo adjust the seasoning is to taste a dish at the end and add salt, acid, pepper or sweetness until it tastes right. Here is how to do it in steps.
- Season generouslyTo season generously is to salt food more than feels natural, often well ahead of cooking, so it tastes seasoned all the way through.
- GarnishA garnish is a small edible finish added to a dish just before serving, such as herbs, citrus zest or toasted seeds, to add flavor, texture and color.
- PlatingPlating is arranging food on the plate before serving, placing each part and adding sauce and garnish so the dish looks as good as it tastes.
- To tasteTo taste means you decide how much to add by tasting as you go. It is used for salt, pepper, acid and heat, where preferences and ingredients vary.