I am a little bit obsessed with fish recipes or not? Baked red mullets, sun dried fish and now a sea bass baked in salt crust.
Maybe this happens because I was born and raised in a small town surrounded by mountains. Fresh fish wasn’t the first option on family dinners. I dare to say it was the last. And at this point allow me to share a little story with you.
My father comes from a small village named Marina. There, in his home, he has built a barbecue with red bricks and a wood-fired oven in the yard (note to myself: remember to make pizza one day in this oven).
The barbecue patiently waits for him all winter and when the temperature begins to rise my dad and the barbecue are back together. Thus each Sunday of the late spring, summer and early autumn the barbeque is on fire.
During the years you can count many Sundays, charcoal, cold beers, pounds of ribs, beef burgers, sausages etc. But you will never find one single fish. This is not us.
So, when I moved to Thessaloniki and having so easy access to fresh fish, I could not ignone fish and seafood. I have cooked baked red mullets, sun dried fish , crayfish linguine and now it’s time for a sea bass baked in salt crust.
Sea bass baked in salt crust
The recipe is an ode to the fresh ingredient. A must try. The first time you will try the recipe, when revealing the fish you may think the fish hasn’t been baked. But it has been baked, relax.
And it was baked amazingly perfect. The fish has maintained all the flavor of the sea while it is moister than any other fish you have tasted.
The first time I made the recipe, I added herbs (parsley) into the cavity of the sea bass. The second time I didn’t add anything, just some freshly ground pepper. Well, I to admit one more time that less is more. But is up to you.
Last but not least. The recipe requires egg white. Do not throw away egg yolks. You can make an omelete with them or even better a lemon curd.
Sea bass baked in salt crust
Ingredients
- 1,5 kg sea bass (one big or 2-3 smaller)
- 1 kg sea salt
- 4 egg whites
- finely chopped parsley or thyme optional
- freshly ground pepper optional
- extra virgin olive oil to serve
- lemon juice to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 C.
- Rinse the fishes with water and dry them. Stuff the parsley or the thyme into the cavity of the sea bass. Close and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks form, then fold in the salt gradually.
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and spread one-third of the egg white mixture over the tray. Lay the fished on top and spoon over the remaining egg white mixture, ensuring the fish is completely covered.
- Bake the sea bass in the oven for 20 minutes, or 35-40 in case there is one big fish.
- Carefully crack the salt crust, remove it from the fish and discard. Peel the skin from the fish and place it onto a serving plate. Drizzle with some olive oil and lemon juice.
I hope to like my dish and to made you search for the nearest fish market. Until the next recipe I will be happy to hear from you either on Instagram, or Facebook or Twitter!
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