Salt Baked Whole Fish with Lemon and Herbs
Whole fish baked in a delicate salt crust with fresh lemon and aromatic herbs, locking in natural juices for exceptionally tender, flaky flesh. Finished simply with lemon wedges and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, this is pure, clean coastal flavor at its finest.
Ingredients
- 2 (1-lb) whole branzini (European sea bass) or small sea bass, cleaned, heads and tails left intact ·
- Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt · 4 cups
- Egg Whites · 6
- Herbie's Catch of The Day Spice · 2 tablespoons
- Dill Sprig · 1
- Parsley Sprig · 1
- Meyer Lemon, thinly sliced · 1
- Scallions, cut in two inch pieces · 3
Instructions
This is a simple, elegant method that uses a salt crust more as a gentle cooking shell than a heavy seasoning. The fish is first filled with lemon, herbs, and a light dusting of Catch of The Day Spice, then fully encased in a mixture of egg white and coarse salt that should feel like damp sand. This crust seals the fish as it bakes, trapping moisture and concentrating the natural aromas of citrus and herbs inside.
The fish roasts at 400°F for about 30 minutes, just until the salt begins to lightly color at the edges. After a short rest, the crust is cracked open and removed, revealing perfectly steamed, tender fish that lifts cleanly from the bones. The finished dish should taste clean and ocean-fresh, with subtle seasoning from the salt shell and bright lift from lemon and good olive oil added at the table.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Lightly whisk egg whites in a bowl, add salt, stirring, until mixture looks like wet sand.
- Rinse fish and pat dry. Sprinkle the cavities of the fish with Catch of The Day Spice and divide remaining ingredients between cavities of fish.
- Place 1/3 of the salt in a large shallow baking dish.
- Firmly pat remaining salt evenly over each fish to cover fish completely.
- Bake fish in middle of oven until salt is just starting to turn golden at edges, 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes.
- Crack salt away from fish and discard, then carefully lift fish from bones.
Jenny's Tip: -
Serve with fresh lemon wedges and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
