I haven't gone outside all day today. It's Friday afternoon and I don't think anyone's going out tonight either.
School classes, daycare, work appointments, dinner reservations, shopping chores - all put on hold by winter's roar.
Contrary to what the rest of the world believes, Canadians do not live in igloos, nor do we have bears roaming in our backyards but we do have alot of snow!
The folks who are working hard today are the city's public works guys who plow, sand and salt our roads. Yes, that's right salt. Unlike in Europe, putting chains on car tires is illegal and they would tear up our already crumbling infrastructure.
So, we throw salt on our roads and sideswalks to melt the snow away to make way for man's progress.
Me, I use salt to bake my fish (HEY, I have to throw in a food reference). There's a snowball's chance in Hell that I'll go out and grill a fish on our barbecue.
So, I'm left with baking a fish in a very Greek and very Mediterranean way of cooking a fish - in the oven baked in a crust of sea salt. Greeks can't lay sole claim to this method of baking fish as I seen being done all over the Mediterranean but Greeks do enjoy this method.
This is simple, it's quick, hard to screw up and one is left with a perfectly baked fish, seasoned to perfection by the salt crust.
You'll need a whole fish for this method, such as a red snapper, sea bass, trout or a salmon. The salt and skin gets discarded so don't worry about a messy fish to clean or having it be too salty. The method works!
Whole Sea Bass Baked In Salt
(this fish fed 2)
1 whole sea bass, gutted and scaled
1 cup of coarse sea salt
1 cup of water
3/4 cup flour
4 egg whites
parsley
lemon slices
Preheated 500F oven
- Rinse and pat-dry your fish and reserve.
- In a bowl, add your salt, flour, egg whites and while stirring with a spoon, and gradually add the water. Keep adding the water until the mixture turns into a thick paste (sometimes you don't need the whole cup of water).
- Place your parsley springs and lemon slices into the cavity of the fish.
- Spoon a layer of the salt mixture onto a baking sheet and then place the fish on top. Now cover the fish with the remainder of the salt mixture. It's okay to leave the head and the tail exposed.
- Place in the middle-top part of the oven and bake for 2o minutes.
- Remove the fish and allow the fish to cool for 10 minutes.
- Using the flat side of the meat tenderizer, hammer gently at the crust to crack it open. Carefully (it could still be hot) remove the salt crust and skin away from the fish and discard them.
- Fillet your fish and serve with extra-virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt to taste.
15 comments:
I think I'll take your snow over the inch of ice we've gotten here today. Oh, well, we can use chains if we have the urge, and studded snow tires, too, but we're stranded at home too. Fish tonight looks good, and your photos are, as usual, inspirational!
I feel your pain, we just got 10" of snow dumped on us last night during rush hour, it took 2hrs to go 9 miles!! But spring is around the corner, right?? Anyway, I have seen fish done this way many times on TV, it looks very moist when its done, I like the addition of the olive oil and lemon, was wondering, does it taste salty at all?
What a great and simple method to cook a fish. I've often seen it but never tried it. looks great as usual Peter.
This looks superb Peter. I have always wanted to try cooking a chicken or a fish with a salt crust, but for some reason have been a little afraid of it. After reading your post, I am once again tempted to give it a go.
I have never had anything baked in salt. It sounds like an interesting way of cooking. The fish looks good.
I love how cool that looks! I feel a little bad for the fish, though. That oven was really hot.
I wonder what the purpose of the egg whites is?
Maybe it binds the salt and water together?
I have been to Toronto and, granted it was the end of October, I have not seen any igloo ;)
I have never cooked fish using this method, but I certainly love the result.
My mom called from Quebec and they were in the storm. We just came west this year and I surely appreciate our warm winters. We are still wearing our shoes and the weather and in the + during the days. Have fun in the snow. Fish looks great.
WoW! Do you ever have the snow! Beautiful but tiring, I am sure! I have done the rocksalt crust with Salmon before and this makes the fish sooo tender and full of flavor. I haven't baked another fish with the salt crust since and now that you have it pictured here in your blog, well, I am going to have to make another one! Delicious! =D
Shandy
It rarely snows in Athens but when it snows they do use salt to melt the snow. However the drivers also use the chains and I don't know why.
I have also seen this method of roasting the fish on the television but lots of coarse salt was used, about three packets and in the end a hammer was used to break the crust.
Yours looks great and thanks for reminding us of it. Another way to serve would be with ladolemono which is oil, lemon, oregano and and pinch of salt and shake them well in a shaker and you have the most perfect dressing for your fish.
Marjie, I look forward to seafood on Fridays.
Maria, the coarse salt penetrates the fish just enough to season it, perfectly.
Pete, it's easy and dramatic when you crack it open at the table.
Emiline, the egg whites a re simply for binding.
Shandy, this method works with any whole fish.
Ivy, I'm quite familiar with latho-lemeno, thanks.
Finally I can gloat (just a little) with our warmer weather. We have had quite a lot of snow this past winter. When I have been talking to my mom & dad in Cambridge, Ontario all this winter they have had the benefit of gloating.In BC they don't throw down salt on the roads, just dirt. I think I go through a windshield every year! Of course in Victoria they will be counting their daffodils soon. I have read about this salt method of cooking and have bookmarked it to try.
I never thought that Canadians live in igloos, but I do think you all wear red checkered flannel and a beard and are all poutine-eating French lumberjacks.
Peter, I just saw a recipe that called for roasting shrimp on top of a bed of salt. There wasn't any salt on top, though, the shrimp just rested on the salt. Do you think that would be good? Would the salt even accomplish anything?
You weren't kidding about it being -10 out there! Am I glad I'm in California. :)
Before I read your recipe and just looked at the picture, I was completely mystified about what you were cooking. I bet that salt and flour covering would make the fish incredibly moist.
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