# Salt-crusted rockfish



## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Packing a fish in several pounds of salt sounds about as appetizing as chowing down on a big plate of pickled bunker. But if you do it right, this technique creates a little sauna where the fish can steam and constantly recirculate the moisture and flavors of the citrus and herbs stuffed in the gut and head. It's time consuming and costs a few bucks, but if you do it right it'll be the best fish you ever had.

*Salt crust ingredients*
--18-24 inch striped bass (or any other firm, white-fleshed fish like puppy drum), gutted and gilled. Cut the tail off to save space.
--Three boxes of kosher salt (around six pounds). *Do not* use iodized table salt. 
--Fresh aromatic herbs like fennel, cilantro, thyme, etc. Just pick two or three of your favorite herbs. 
--Two lemons, an orange, one lime.
--Two eggs 

_Directions_
In a large mixing bowl, add two egg whites (not the yolks) and a little bit of water. Dump in all the salt. Add enough water so that the salt clumps like wet spring snow, but is not soggy. If there's water in the bottom of the bowl you added too much--pour out the excess liquid. Mix well. 

Lay down a bed of the salt on a baking sheet to a depth of about 1/2". Take the whole fish and lay it on the bed. Open the gut cavity and stuff with the fresh herbs and several slices of citrus. Take the remaining salt and cover the entire fish with a layer that's 1/2"-1" deep. Make sure the entire fish is covered and packed in.

Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 450 degrees. Leave for one hour or until an instant read thermometer at the center of the fish reads 130-135 degrees. 

When it's finished, take it out and let it cool for five or ten minutes. Take a mallet or hammer and crack the salt crust, which will have hardened into a rock-like shell. This makes a mess, so you may want to do it outside. Remove the top part of the crust and brush the salt away. Peel off the skin, then scoop out the cooked flesh from inside. Discard the salt shell, bones and skin.

*Salsa recipe*
2 cups olive oil 
1 cup chopped parsley leaves 
1/2 cup chopped garlic 
1/2 cup fresh cilantro 
Zest of two lemons 
Kosher salt, cracked pepper to taste

You can play with the salsa ingredients. For instance, squeeze some lemon or orange juice into the mix or add some chopped sundried tomatoes. Just play around with it and keep tasting until it turns out the way you like.

Place big hunks of the fish on a bed of pasta or rice, and dump the salsa over the top. Trust me: this will be one of the best meals you've ever had.


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## Anthony (Jul 3, 2002)

I have tried this recipe and it is definitely worth it. I've done it with sea bass and plan on doing it tomorrow with tog.


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

THis works for any meat you have.


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## patindaytona (Jun 17, 2006)

*Do you Scale it First?*

When you pack it in salt, are you supposed to scale the fish before hand? I might try this with the next redfish i catch. Thanks..


sand flea said:


> I've been a huge fan of salt-crust rockfish for years.
> 
> It sounds like a pain, but give it a shot.
> 
> ...


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## patindaytona (Jun 17, 2006)

*The Whole Fish?*

When you say make sure the whole fish is enclosed with the salt, what about the gut cavity....that's open, right?


sand flea said:


> I've been a huge fan of salt-crust rockfish for years.
> 
> It sounds like a pain, but give it a shot.
> 
> ...


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

patindaytona said:


> When you pack it in salt, are you supposed to scale the fish before hand? I might try this with the next redfish i catch. Thanks..


Clear your thoughts about this style of cooking.

The salt mixture will be like mortar and you are building a little blanket or igloo around the fish. The egg in the mixture will cook and turn the salt into a hard crust. This locks in the moisture as you cook it. And yes, you want to scale the fish. Only put the herbs in the gut cavity.

This is a recipe for cooking the fish the day you cook it, not drying it out for the winter.


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## Anthony (Jul 3, 2002)

I've never had to scale the fish, it just peels off along with the skin. Just herbs and any citrus that you like in the body cavity.


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