Baking Fish In Salt Is Easier Than You Might Think

If you love flavorful fish recipes — like lemon herb and crab-crusted baked cod or sea bass with ginger beer — consider expanding your repertoire even more by trying a new cooking method with salt-baked fish. While this seemingly sophisticated technique might feel intimidating, cooking fish in salt is surprisingly simple. Costas Spiliadis, the founder of the fine dining establishment Estiatorio Milos, shared his method for preparing salt-baked fish with Food Republic.

According to Spiliadis, "There are different ways to prepare a fish in salt. Our classic is coarse salt and water, mix nicely until you reach a sand shore consistency; the salt sticks together with a liquid dense consistency." If you only have table salt, you can use egg whites instead of water. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold in the salt and cover your fish accordingly. The process is straightforward: Wet salt is spread across the base of a baking tray and then packed on top of a whole fish before cooking.

Spiliadis advises, "Pile the salt up until the whole fish is covered, smoothing it out and removing the excess. The thickness of a finger is sufficient, you don't want to get thicker than that or the cooking is going to take longer." Whether you use water or egg whites, bake your fish at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the interior reaches 135 degrees. Once cooked, simply remove the salty shell from your fish before serving.

While covering an entire fish in salt adds flavor on its own, there are more ways to enhance this unique dish. You can incorporate herbs to give the fish a more pronounced taste. However, for whole-roasted fish, it's best to keep the seasonings simple. To upgrade the salty crust, mix a small handful of rosemary or thyme sprigs and one or two bay leaves into the salt mixture after combining it with water or egg whites.

For extra flavor and texture, consider brushing the fish's skin with olive oil and stuffing the cavity with a variety of aromatic ingredients before covering it with the salt mixture. Costas Spiliadis suggests, "The most effective way to add flavor is stuffing the belly, or to lay the herbs or lemons in contact with the fish under the salt."

You can use a range of ingredients, such as peeled garlic cloves, slices of ginger or turmeric root, or citrus varieties like lime or orange. Small bundles of versatile herbs like Italian parsley, thyme, or oregano also work well. For a more distinct flavor, try adding lemongrass or cilantro. Once you become comfortable with this unconventional cooking technique, you'll find that salt-baking is one of the best ways to prepare a whole fish — and you'll look like a pro while doing it.