Fish in a salt crust


Fish in a salt crust
Fish cooked in a salt crust is simply baked in the oven, surrounded and completely covered by a layer of coarse salt. This allows the fish to cook gently and it should be eaten as soon as the salt crust is opened. In this version, it is stuffed with lemon and herbs. Using a thermometer is the best way to ensure that the fish is cooked to perfection.
180 K 3.9/5 (23 reviews)
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Last modified on: January 29th 2012
For 1 fish, you will need:

Change these quantities to make:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 40 min.
Cooking: 30 min.
All in all: 1 hour 8 min.
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Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 8 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 1
Prepare your whole fish (cleaned by the fishmonger, but no need to remove scales): wash the inside thoroughly to remove any traces of blood.

It is better to use a whole fish, but if this is not the case, as in the photos, you will see how to allow for this later.

Stage 2 - 3 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 2
Dry the inside of the fish with absorbent paper and fill the cavity with thin slices of lemon and the herbs of your choice (parsley, thyme, bay, etc.). Pepper, but do not salt.

Stage 3 - 1 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 3
Close the fish well over the stuffing.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).

Stage 4 - 3 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 4
Spread an even layer of coarse salt ½ cm ( ¼ inch) a little larger all round than the fish on a baking sheet.

If you are using Guérande sea salt, this is easy to work as it is very slightly damp. But if you are using ordinary white coarse salt, I advise you to humidify it a little with a glass of water.

Stage 5 - 1 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 5
Place the fish on the bed of salt.

If your fish no longer has its head, seal the end with a small piece of aluminum foil. It is important to do this, or your fish will be too salty.

Stage 6 - 1 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 6
Insert the probe of the thermometer into the centre of the thickest part of the fish.

Stage 7 - 5 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 7
Then cover the fish completely with more salt until you can no longer see it (apart from the tail).

Stage 8 - 30 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 8
Bake in the oven until the thermometer reads 60°C (140°F), at which moment the fish will be perfectly cooked.

Heat the serving plates.

Stage 9 - 3 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 9
Break open the salt crust...

Stage 10 - 3 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 10
...and lift off the fish skin, which should be easy to remove now.

If possible, scrape off and discard the brown part, indicated by the arrow, which is not good to eat.

Stage 11 - 10 min.
Fish in a salt crust : Stage 11
Remove all the flesh (watch out for bones) and arrange on the serving plates beside the stuffing.

Serve immediately with just a squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil with herbs, or a more sophisticated sauce, such as a Béarnaise.
Remarks
The choice of fish is up to you, depending on what you can find at your fishmonger's. In the photos I am using line-caught sea bass. Almost any fish will work, but salmon and sea bream are particularly good.

If you do not have a thermometer, your can calculate the cooking time by the weight of the fish: 1kg = 30 to 40 minutes cooking.
Keeping: Should be eaten right away, less good if reheated.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe180 RDI=70 %5 RDI=1 %0750 RDI=40 %3,120 RDI: 40 %
Per 100 g8 RDI=3 %0040 RDI=2 %150 RDI: 2 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
Possible allergens in this recipe: Fish
How much will it cost?
  • For 1 fish : 10.65 €

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Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
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