WEEK 30: YOUR BEST WAY TO COOK A WHOLE FISH
Whole Baked Fish in Sea Salt with
Parsley Gremolata
Photography by Melanie Einzig
BY TASTEFOOD | SERVES 6
A&M: “The first time I tasted Pesce al Sale was at a restaurant in Milan,” TasteFood wrote. “I remember the dramatic presentation of the baked fish encrusted in salt and cracked open tableside, revealing a steaming, aromatic, and succulent fish.” This method for cooking a whole fish has the dual benefit of being effective and fun—an opportunity to play with your food. Another plus is flexibility, as it’s the method that really counts here: cooking a whole fish in a salt crust keeps it incredibly tender and moist. TasteFood calls for a 5-pound fish, but we used a 2½-pound red snapper, halved the rest of the ingredients, and decreased the cooking time to roughly 25 minutes. The simple gremolata is a bright, refreshing adornment for an otherwise gorgeously simple piece of fish.
FISH
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley sprigs
Fronds from 1 medium fennel bulb (reserve the bulb for another use)
1 whole fish, approximately 5 pounds, such as snapper or sea bass
2 egg whites
4 pounds coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges
PARSLEY GREMOLATA
½ cup finely chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
Finely grated zest from 1 organic lemon
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the oven to 450°F.
- Place the lemon slices, parsley, and fennel in the cavity of the fish. Do not overstuff.
- Combine the egg whites and sea salt in a bowl. Mix well to moisten the salt.
- Spread one-third of the salt on the bottom of a large baking dish or pan. Lay the fish on top. Pour the remaining salt over the fish, covering completely. If needed, the tail can be exposed.
- Bake for 45 minutes (test with a fork if you’re nervous). Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes.
- While the fish bakes, make the gremolata: Combine the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Crack open the crust with a small hammer or knife. Remove and discard the crust. Fillet the fish.
- Arrange the fish on warm plates. Drizzle with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice from the lemon wedges. Serve with the parsley gremolata.
Photography by Melanie Einzig
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
TasteFood: “Have your fishmonger clean and scale your fish for you. Note that since the fish cavity is stuffed, the cooking time will run about 10 minutes longer than unstuffed.”
ABOUT THE COOK
For more information on TasteFood, see her recipe for Southwestern Spiced Sweet Potato Fries with Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream. You can also find her recipes for Smoked Ham with Pomegranate Molasses, Black Pepper, and Mustard Glaze and Broccoli Rabe, Potato, and Rosemary Pizza.
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
Rivka: “I made this last night for a dinner party, and it totally blew my guests out of the water. The look on their faces as I took a hammer and hacked away at the top crust was priceless. Midway through the meal, we all looked up at each other and laughed as we realized that we couldn’t stop the moans of “mmm!” Thanks for bringing this dramatic dish within reach of the home cook. Two notes: first, I made a 6.5-pound red snapper, which easily fed 6 with leftovers. I needed 6 pounds of salt to cover the fish, and the tip of the tail was still sticking out. Second, as delicious as the fillets are, the cheeks are by far the best part—don’t miss them!”