Pesce al Sale

By LeeBoruchow

Whole Fish Baked in a Salt Crust: This is not region-specific, but I did get it served to me at Da Gemma in Amalfi, so I'm filing it here. And, as always, a recipe this simple demands top notch fish.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs course sea salt
• 3 large eggs, whites only
• 1 4-5lb snapper, cleaned and scaled
• thyme
• lemon wedges
• extra-virgin olive oil

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 475F.

Add some whole thyme sprigs and lemon slices to the inside of the fish cavity.

Pour salt into a large bowl and add the egg whites. Mix until salt is evenly moistened. Spread 1/3 of the salt over the bottom of a large baking dish. Place fish on top and cover it with the rest of the salt, evenly.

Place baking dish in the oven and reduce heat to 400F. Bake until done - use the rule of 10 mins per inch of thickness at the fish's widest part.

Remove from oven. Crack open crust and lift it off. Fillet fish and serve with oil and lemon slices.