Fish baked in sea salt
When you bake a fish in salt you create a sealed oven, within the oven, and the flavour that you get is the purest of the species you are cooking. You can pretty much use any fish for this method but our favourites are sea bass and bream, or really fresh mackerel or small turbot.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2kg rock salt
1 sea bass or sea bream, weighing 450–600g (gutted weight) – this is a good size for 1 or 2 to share as a light lunch
a few sprigs of rosemary, savory or thyme
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan/200°C/Gas Mark 6.
Take a roasting tray or ovenproof dish that will hold the fish and make a layer of salt about 12.5mm thick on the bottom. Dry the fish and stuff the belly cavity with some herb sprigs to add flavour, then lay it on the salt. Cover the fish with the remaining salt and sprinkle over some water. Press the salt down to pack it on to the fish. Bake for 25 minutes. During baking the salt will form a firm crust. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes; the fish will continue to cook.
To check if the fish is cooked, you can use a probe thermometer, which should register 63°C; or insert a metal skewer into the middle part of the fish – when removed the skewer should feel hot.
Break the salt crust with the back of a spoon – it should come off in large chunks, revealing the fish. When the fish is exposed, brush the remaining salt from it with a pastry brush. Lift the fish on to a plate and peel back the skin.
Serve beautifully unadorned.
When you bake a fish in salt you create a sealed oven, within the oven, and the flavour that you get is the purest of the species you are cooking. You can pretty much use any fish for this method but our favourites are sea bass and bream, or really fresh mackerel or small turbot.
Serves 2
2kg rock salt
1 sea bass or sea bream, weighing 450–600g (gutted weight) – this is a good size for 1 or 2 to share as a light lunch
a few sprigs of rosemary, savory or thyme
Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan/200°C/Gas Mark 6.
Take a roasting tray or ovenproof dish that will hold the fish and make a layer of salt about 12.5mm thick on the bottom. Dry the fish and stuff the belly cavity with some herb sprigs to add flavour, then lay it on the salt. Cover the fish with the remaining salt and sprinkle over some water. Press the salt down to pack it on to the fish. Bake for 25 minutes. During baking the salt will form a firm crust. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes; the fish will continue to cook.
To check if the fish is cooked, you can use a probe thermometer, which should register 63°C; or insert a metal skewer into the middle part of the fish – when removed the skewer should feel hot.
Break the salt crust with the back of a spoon – it should come off in large chunks, revealing the fish. When the fish is exposed, brush the remaining salt from it with a pastry brush. Lift the fish on to a plate and peel back the skin.
Serve beautifully unadorned.
