Fish Baked in Salt
Whole fish baked in salt, Spanish style…
Here’s a snapshot of how the Spanish bake a whole fish in a salt crust. Cooking fish in this way isn’t something you see too often outside of the Mediterranean and it’s a shame because it produces a really beautiful flavour.
Basically you take a whole fish such as a bass, grouper or bream, any thick fleshed fish, wash it and pat dry. Don’t skin the fish, just scale and gut it and then cover with plenty of coarse salt until the fish is firmly encassed. Make sure you begin with a base layer of salt to sit the fish on and once the fish has been covered sprinkle the top with water to help form a crust.
Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the fish and the temperature of your oven but a fish weighing about 1.5 kg will need a good 40 minutes. You will also need plenty of salt, between three and four kilos for a good sized fish. Once the fish is cooked the salt wil have set hard so be careful when you crack open the crust. Remove the fish, place on a clean flate and carefully remove the flesh from the bone. Serve with some spinach or other greens and a generus amount of hollandaise sauce and fresh lemon.
This blog’s good friend laura has written a fantastic post on salt baked fish, wonderfully researched I doubt you will find this depth of information anywhere else on the internet. Click here for the article and an all round brilliant blog.
Whole Fish Baked in Salt
Hi Miles:
Great recipe and photo!
However . . . I have long been perplexed by this recipe. The Portuguese claim it as their own, the Italians have a version. But, I think it probably originates elsewhere - it just seems so different from other ways that fish is prepared in the European Mediterranean.
I know the Chinese prepare fish this way, but I’m not sure if they are the originators or the recipients of this dish. I’ve got a hunch its African or Arab at its roots.
Of course I have no facts to back up this opinion - just a hunch. I’m going to do a little historical and multiculti digging to see what I can find about the origin for the dish. I’ll let you know if I find anything.
I’ve had it as an Italian dish with dill and bay on the fish (under the salt) and with some lemon zest mixed into the salt. I’ve even heard of some folks using lavender in the salt!
Thanks!
Laura
February 24, 2010 @ 10:48 pm
Laura,
I’ve seen it strewn around a few places too but have never been able to verify its origins so I’d appreciate any facts you might uncover.
Either way it’s nice to see the service staff break the crust and silver serve the fillets.
Miles
February 25, 2010 @ 8:23 pm
UPDATE…..
Laura at Silk Road Gourmet has written a fantastic post on salt baked fish, click on the link above or on Laura’s name at the top of the comments to read it.
Well worth a read.
Miles
March 1, 2010 @ 5:32 pm