BAKED MEDITERRANEAN SEA SALT FISH
Baked Mediterranean sea salt fish may sound a bit fancy and intimidating at first, but it’s very actually quite simple to make. The process involves baking your fish in a sea salt dome, covering it entirely in sea salt. The result is very delicious and you’ll be amazed at how easy this recipe can be. No need to descale the fish or to keep track of the time in the oven. There’s no need to worry about burning the fish as it won’t dry or lose liquids. But the most impressive of all is that it bakes evenly and absorbs just the right amount of seasoning, making it a delicious and healthy meal for any occasion!
You might think baking fish in a sea salt crust will result in an extremely salty dish but that’s not true! Since we’re keeping the scales intact, they form a nice protective barrier that doesn’t let the salt enter the fish flesh. It just gives it the perfect balance we’re looking for in a fish meal - not too salty or bland. Another reason to use Mediterranean sea salt on baked fish is that it slows down cooking and allows it to cook evenly, resulting in a very tender, moist end product. Its skin can be removed very easily after baking since we’ve left the scales on.
Mediterranean Baked Sea Salt Fish Recipe
Ingredients
2.5 kg Sea Bream, Dorado, Sea Bass or similar fish
Mediterranean Sea Salt (double the weight of your fish)
Oregano
Rosemary
1 Lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 Egg Whites
A bit of Water
Sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Lemon Juiced
Oregano
Directions
When purchasing the fish, make sure it doesn't have its scales removed. You’ll need fish scales for this recipe. You can ask for its insides to be removed when you buy the fish. When preparing the fish, first remove its insides if you haven’t already and thoroughly clean it under cold water.
Preheat your oven at 400° F then brush the extra virgin olive oil on both sides of the fish. Mix the Mediterranean sea salt, oregano, rosemary in a bowl, and add a bit of water. Then add egg whites with the rest of the ingredients until they form a wet sandy texture to make it hold together better. Place parchment paper on a large oven tray and cover the bottom with half of your sea salt mix, then place your fish on the tray. Cut a few lemon round slices and place them in the openings of the fish, like its mouth, belly and under its gills’. Now, cover the whole fish with the rest of your Mediterranean sea salt mixture, even its scales with your hand. You can leave its tail uncovered if you want. Place it in the oven to bake for about 45-55 minutes. You want to make sure to keep it in the oven until that the top of the fish is crispy.
When the fish is done baking, remove the tray from the oven and place it on a surface where you’ll be able to cut the fish. First, remove the head, tail and fins. Then, hold down your fish with the knives and use the fork to carefully remove its upper and lower sides, horizontally, from head to tail. Now, by holding 2 knives together to form a spatula, locate the fish bone right below the head, place the knives under the fish bone and drag along the end. Make sure to have free space above the upper part of the fish. While still holding the knives under the fish bone, flip your hand upwards, so that your fish opens up in two parts. Use the same method with the knives to remove its fish bone this time. Remove any excess small bones. Serve your fillets on a plate, removing first the fillet off the scaled skin with a spatula.
To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, oregano and lemon juice altogether. Once properly mixed, pour it on your fish fillets and serve!
We hope you enjoy this baked Mediterranean sea salt fish recipe! It may seem difficult but the hardest part is cutting the fish! So, try it for yourself and we’re sure you’ll never bake your fish any other way ever again.
Please visit our shop for top quality Mediterranean sea salt, straight from the rocky shores of Greece.