Whole Fish Roasted in The Salt

Adding spices to the salt crust will perfume the fish. (See pages 34 and 38 of the book for instructions on preparing the fish for roasting, or have your fishmonger take on the job.) You won’t need to scale the fish — the scales help protect the fish, and they’ll just pull off when you remove the salt.

Serves 2

Accept Substitutes
All small whole fish will work here (also see the variation below).

4 large egg whites
1/2 cup water
4 cups coarse salt
1 whole fish (1 1/4–1 3/4pounds), gutted, gills and fins removed

For serving
Extra virgin olive oil
Chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chervil, or cilantro—your choice)
Lemon wedges or one of the butter sauces

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil for easy cleanup.

2. Whisk the egg whites and water in a large bowl until very frothy and about doubled in volume. Pour in the salt and mix well with your hands. You are going for something the consistency of wet sand; if your crust seems dry, add a few more tablespoons of water.

3. Pat out 1 cup of the crust mix on the baking sheet into the size and shape of your fish. Set the fish on top and cover with the remaining crust mix. Wet your hands and pat the crust all over, smoothing it out and making sure the fish is completely sealed.

4. Roast small fish for 30 minutes, large fish for 35 minutes.

5. Remove the fish from the oven and crack the crust along the sides with the back of a big spoon. Lift the crust up off the fish—carefully, because it will be hot.

6. Let the fish cool for a few minutes, then peel off the skin. Slide the top fillet off the bones and divide it between two plates. Grab the tail and lift up the bones. Brush or spoon any crust away from the sides of the remaining fillet, then lift it from the bottom crust and invert it onto a cutting board. Peel off the skin and divide the fillet between two plates. Sprinkle with oil and chopped herbs. Serve with lemon wedges or a butter sauce.

Branzino or Striped Bass in a Salt Crust

Add 2 tablespoons caraway seeds to the crust mix for branzino; add 2 tablespoons fennel seeds for bass. Serve the branzino with just the oil and lemon, or maybe with the Basic Butter Sauce. Serve the bass with one of the flavored butter sauces or Bacon Vinaigrette.

About Roasting Whole Fish in Salt

This is the technique you want to run to when you love the pure taste of fish. Roasting in a salt crust will heighten the fish’s character, intensifying it. The combination of cooking the fish in its own juices and steaming it in the salt crust captures all the natural flavor and texture.

These recipes serve 2, but you can double or triple them, as long as you’ve got enough baking sheets.

Plan on plating the dish in the kitchen, because skinning and filleting the fish is a little fussy and slightly messy.

From FISH WITHOUT A DOUBT: The Cook's Essential Companion by Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore. Text copyright (c) 2008 by Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore. Photographs copyright (c) 2008 by Ben Fink. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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