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.
173 K 3.9/5 (23 reviews)
1 hour 8 min.
Easy
1 fish
5 IngredientsLast modified on: January 29th 2012
For 1 fish, you will need:
- 1
1 Fish - 2
½ lemon - 3
herbs of your choice - 4
pepper - 5
1 kg coarse salt - Total weight: 2,065 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 40 min.
Cooking: 30 min.
All in all: 1 hour 8 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 8 min.
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.
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.
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.
Close the fish well over the stuffing.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
Stage 4 - 3 min.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Insert the probe of the thermometer into the centre of the thickest part of the fish.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Then cover the fish completely with more salt until you can no longer see it (apart from the tail).
Stage 8 - 30 min.
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.
Heat the serving plates.
Stage 9 - 3 min.
Break open the salt crust...
Stage 10 - 3 min.
...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.
If possible, scrape off and discard the brown part, indicated by the arrow, which is not good to eat.
Stage 11 - 10 min.
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.
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.
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 recipe | 180 RDI=70 % | 5 RDI=1 % | 0 | 750 RDI=40 % | 3,120 RDI: 40 % |
| Per 100 g | 8 RDI=3 % | 0 | 0 | 40 RDI=2 % | 150 RDI: 2 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 1 fish : $12.50
Change currency: 
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)
Coarse salt
Like these other recipes: Preserved lemons, How to prepare broccoli, How to prepare spinach, Foie gras cured in salt, Mackerel rillettes, ... See them all 16
Fish
Like these other recipes: Quiche Bretonne, Warm autumn salad, Seafood sauerkraut, Fish in a sesame crust, Fish petals, vegetables julienne, and beurre blanc, ... See them all 8
Lemon
Like these other recipes: Baked salmon fillet, Lemon and grated apple tart, Stewed plums, Sliced veal with leeks and mushrooms, Plum tart "En passant par la Lorraine", ... See them all 123
Herbs of your choice
Like these other recipes: Bruschetta, Raw green asparagus salad, Douarnenez salad, Rice and peas, Cauliflower and chickpea salad, ... See them all 56
Other recipes you may also like
Vanilla sugar
Almost essential in patisserie, you can find it in expensive little sachets of about 10g. It's necessary to distinguish between the vanilla sugar which really contains vanilla, and vanillin sugar, purely chemical which has never seen a vanilla pod. Here is how to quickly make a whole jar full of...August 12th 2018425 K 15 30 min.
Foie gras cured in salt
This a quite different preparation from the terrine of foie gras, this time it does not go in the oven, the liver is salted for 48 hours and it "cooks" (or cures) in this way.December 23th 2017569 K5 2 days 16 hours 30 min.
Pumpkin (or potimarron) soup
A smooth and fragrant soup, it's much better with potimarron (Japanese chestnut pumpkin) than ordinary pumpkin.October 13th 2010341 K4.1 1 hour 10 min.
Lille style chicken
Chicken breasts and mushrooms, cooked separately, then mixed with a tasty cream sauce before serving. It's a dish with a "cuisiné" taste, but which unfortunately is becoming increasingly rare in restaurants.May 10th 2023365 K3.8 50 min.
How to choose an avocado well
It is not so easy to choose a good avocado, tasty and well ripe. Here are some tips to help you.June 28th 2011190 K4.4 1 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-06)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.