Salt Crust Fish
Salt Crusted Fish
Whether you’re new to cooking fish, or you’re looking for new ways to prepare it, salt crusting may be your best bet. Not only is it super easy, but it also yields a moist, tender fish like you may never had had with other cooking methods.
Cooking in a salt crust is fast, easy and economical. For this 3 pound grouper, only 2 pounds of rock salt (ice cream salt) were used, at a cost of $3.
Here’s how it works. The salt encases the fish, and while it heats up, the natural juices in the fish turn to steam. The steam cannot easily escape the salt barrier and so cook the fish perfectly while retaining the juices. This means, that even if you were to over-cook the fish, it would not dry out! Another great aspect of this method of cooking fish is that if your fish still has scales on it, the salt will attach itself to the scales, and when you break off the salt after cooking, the skin will come off with it, leaving the cooked flesh of the fish conveniently exposed!
Salt crusting fish is not only fun to prepare, but is also a great way to get your guests interested and involved during a dinner party. Everyone loves to watch and take part in the cracking open of the salt crust to reveal the fish!
Here is the recipe for this grouper.
Ingredients:
- 3 Lb fresh grouper (fins removed, scaled)
- 2 lbs of rock salt (ice cream salt)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 sprig of fresh dill
- Persian limes
Equipment:
- Spray bottle (optional)
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 450
- Line a pan with tin foil. Pour loose salt on bottom of pan about 1 inch thick. Put fish on top.
- Stuff the cavity of the fish with garlic cloves and dill.
- Pour remaining salt over fish, covering everything but the tail and head. Make sure the layer is at least 2 inches thick.
- (optional) spray top of salt dome with a little water from a spray bottle. This will help the salt to clump. This step is not necessary, and the salt will work just as well dry. But it helps when removing the salt crust.
- Bake at 450 for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the “zombie fish face” stage is reached!
- Remove from oven, and carefully crack the salt dome with the back of a chef knife. Remove salt carefully revealing the fish.
- Make a slit along the lateral line of the fish (where the spinal chord runs). This will help you separate the two fillets from the top and bottom of the fish. Then, remove the spinal chord and remove the top and bottom fillets on the other side of the fish.
- Serve on a platter with lime wedges and enjoy by itself of with your favorite side!