Salt-Crusted Whole Fish
A whole fish sealed inside two kilos of egg-white-bound salt and baked until the crust rings like plaster — cracked at the table with a mallet, releasing a cloud of herbed steam and the most perfectly seasoned, juicy fish imaginable.
Ingredients
For 4 servings · tick what is ready
Use the scaled ingredient list. Steps and temperatures stay unchanged; use a larger pan or dish if needed. Seasonings to taste stay to taste.
How to make it
Whisk egg whites to a light foam — no stiff peaks, just broken and fluid. Pour over coarse salt and work with your hands until the mixture resembles wet sand. It should clump when squeezed and hold the shape of your fist. If it won't clump, add water a tablespoon at a time.
Preheat oven to 220 C (425 F). Spread a 1.5 cm layer of salt paste on a baking sheet to form the bed. Stuff the fish cavity with thyme, lemon rounds, and garlic. Lay the fish on the salt bed. Pack remaining salt paste firmly over the entire fish, including head and tail, sealing all seams. Press to compact.
Roast for 25-30 minutes for a 700 g fish. The crust will set and begin to show faint golden spots on its highest points. An instant-read thermometer inserted through the crust into the thickest part of the fish should read 55-60 C (130-140 F). The fish steams inside its own armor.
At the table, crack the crust with the back of a heavy spoon or a small mallet, following the line of the fish's spine. Lift away the top half of the crust in large pieces — it comes off in satisfying slabs. Brush away any salt crystals with a pastry brush. Peel back the skin and serve the fillets with olive oil and lemon wedges. The flesh will be luminous, juicy, and perfectly seasoned.
About this recipe
By ForkRecipe Kitchen · Source: ForkRecipe / FoodML and contributors. Recipe content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Serving count is an estimate; check quantities in the source recipe.