Fleur de sel is a type of salt, and in French it actually means "flower of salt." It is scraped off top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of the salt pans that salt harvesters use to collect salt. The coolest part of it for me? It is most commonly harvested from a region of France named Brittany. Which means you have to know it's the shit since it shares a name with me. Fleur de sel is used in both savory dishes and also sweet treats. It's a denser salt than regular sea salt and it dissolves much more quickly. It comes in sealed jars, and it can be white, light pink, or gray in color. Because it's an artisinal product, it's a bit more expensive than other salts but so worth it.
I came across fleur de sel when I was being a lazy-ass and watching Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten is one of my heroes, though I wish she'd make more vegetarian-friendly dishes now and again). She made these delicious Fleur de Sel Caramels so I set out to find the exact recipe so I could share it with you guys. Now, hers obviously has heavy whipping cream because that's one of the key ingredients in caramels, so I changed it up a bit and made it vegan (though I'll provide the non-vegan alternative).
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups chilled coconut milk*
5 tablespoons unsalted vegan margarine or butter
1 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*When you chill coconut milk overnight, the cream goes to the top. You can scoop that thick stuff out (and thin it down a little with the coconut water that sits underneath) and use it as a substitute for heavy whipping cream. If you're not a vegan, then just use 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream instead.
Directions
Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then brush the paper lightly with oil, allowing the paper to hang over on two sides (remember to use parchment paper and not wax paper - there is a difference and it just might light your house on fire if you put the wrong one in an oven).
In a deep saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until it becomes a warm golden-brown color. Don't stir, just swirl the pan. Be sure to watch it because it can burn quickly at the end.
Meanwhile, bring the coconut milk, margarine, and fleur de sel to a simmer in a small pan over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside, but make sure it stays warm.
When the caramelized sugar is a warm golden-brown, slowly add in the coconut milk-mixture - it will boil violently (it literally says that on the recipe page). Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat 5-10 minutes until the mixture reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer. Very carefully pour the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm.
When the caramels are cool, use the parchment paper to remove from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. You can cut the caramels in half and roll up into tight logs, sprinkle with fleur de sol, and cut into eighths so you have 16 pieces of caramel. Or you can use a small cutter and make round caramels or whatever tiny shape you want - remember that they have to be bite-sized, though.
The mix of sweet and salty makes for a uniquely satisfying treat. These would make a really special housewarming gift or a thank-you gift to the hostess of a dinner party you are invited to. Just cut parchment paper, wrap them up and twist the ends like old-fashioned candies, and put into a pretty glass jar or wrap up in a box tied up with a pretty bow.
