This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
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.
183 K 3.9/5 (23 reviews)
1 hour 8 min.
Easy
10.65 €
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
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.
How much will it cost?
- For 1 fish : 10.65 €
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: How to cook pasta properly, Salmon marinated like herring, How to prepare endives , Potted meat (rillettes), French bean salad with vinaigrette , ... See them all 16
Fish
Like these other recipes: Stock-pot fish , Pollack Parmentier, White fish and leek fondue à la comtoise, Fish in a sesame crust, Seafood sauerkraut, ... See them all 9
Lemon
Like these other recipes: Paella, Sausage mushroom and cheese crumble, Strawberry brunoise in a dessert-wine sabayon, Windfall apple jelly, Beet leaf pesto, ... See them all 128
Herbs of your choice
Like these other recipes: Crunchy courgette and mushroom salad, Avocado with gravlax, Chicken and avocado bagels, Brussels-Bombay salad, Cherry tomato and two cabbage salad, ... See them all 60
Other recipes you may also like
Strawberries with mint and cream
Minty confectioner's custard, diced strawberries and whipped cream. February 21th 2011258 K5 1 hour 30 min.
Mushroom tart
Puff pastry, cream and mushroom "duxelle" are the perfect combination to create an elegant savoury tart with a crisp, flaky base. May 10th 202344 K 55 min.
European glass
A little dessert that's rather long to make, but which will always impress your guests. Layered in a glass: a jellied red fruit coulis, a layer of pineapple charlotte cream, a layer of kiwi coulis, topped with a peeled clementine segment. It's "european" because it resembles the italian flag, and in another version with apricot instead raspberries, the irish flag (a country so dear to me). August 15th 2010246 K5 2 hours 30 min.
Finger biscuits
These small biscuits, that look a bit like savoy biscuits, are delicious alone or with Champagne, but are also the base for charlottes or Tiramisu. July 30th 2021360 K5 50 min.
Bouquet garni
Used very frequently in French cuisine, a secret of French chefs, it adds flavour to a lot of recipes, and it's easy to prepare. The basic principle is to make a small bundle of herbs, bind them in green leek leaves and to tie it up, so that the whole thing can be removed and discarded easily after cooking. March 21th 2017438 K3.5 15 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-02-15)
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.