Mmmm Salt Encrusted Baked Fish

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 lbs whole fish (gutted, scaled & gills cut out)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh herb
• 8 lbs kosher salt (not rock salt)
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400°f.
• 2 line a pan 2 to 3 inches longer than the fish with aluminum foil (i have used cookie sheets covered in aluminum foil with aluminum foil lips for larger fish).
• 3 pour the eggs whites into a large bowl. add salt--goal is consistency of wet sand.
• 4 layer 1 to 2 inches in pan. make this layer several inches larger than the fish.
• 5 rinse fish & pat dry, then lay onto salt.
• 6 sprinkle 1/2 t zest over area fish will rest.
• 7 stuff fish with herbs &/or diced lemon (pith removed from lemon first).
• 8 lay fish onto salt bed, laying so that abdominal incision is covered (to avoid being filled with salt).
• 9 pack wet salt mixture on & around fish. pat down gently.
• 10 bake 40 minutes (i add 10 -12 minutes for each additional pound of fish).
• 11 remove from oven & let sit for 10 to 15 minutes (perfect for last minute table arranging).
• 12 crack the salt shell with a mallet or heavy spoon & peel off chunks of shell to expose the fish.
• 13 inhale! admire the color of the fish (red snapper, sheepshead, strawberry grouper & spanish mackerel all look brilliant) then lift top fillet from bone & serve (some small bone from fins will be in fillets). don't forget the cheeks! mmm!
• 14 lift tail to remove back bone (often with the head) to get to the other side.
• 15 clean up is to lift the foil & throw salt crust, bones & skin away.