Salt-baked sea bass, oven-roasted in a salt crust

Category

Main Courses

Cuisine

Italian

Are you looking for a fish main course that puts on a show but asks very little of you?

Then salt-baked sea bass is the recipe for you. I’ll walk you through, step by step, how to cook the fish in a coarse salt crust, an old and almost foolproof technique: the salt forms a compact shell that seals the sea bass and cooks it in its own juices, with no need for seasoning. The result is flesh that stays moist, fragrant and never dry.

The beauty of this dish is that it works almost on its own, and it has at least three real advantages: it is naturally gluten free and dairy free, it asks you not to salt or oil the fish because the crust does the work, and it gives you that theatrical moment of cracking the salt at the table that always wins guests over. All you need is a fresh fish, plenty of coarse salt and a few aromatics.

One detail that makes the difference: scent the belly of the sea bass with lemon slices, garlic and a few sprigs of thyme and parsley, so the aroma rises from the inside as it bakes. Press the salt down firmly with your hands so it covers every part of the fish: it is this sealed shell that holds in the moisture.

Serve the salt-baked sea bass as soon as you crack the crust, still hot, with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. It is best enjoyed straight away, so bring the dish to the table and open the shell in front of everyone.

Ready? Let’s make the salt-baked sea bass.