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Salt Crusted Branzino.

Salt Crusted Branzino | Fish Technique Using SALT

Steven Pennington
Cooking fish to the maximum moistness level possible
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Fish Cookery
Cuisine French
Servings 2 people
Calories 174 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Fish Branzino

Salt Cast Ingredients

  • 4 Cup Kosher Salt
  • 6 Egg Whites - ONLY

Optional

  • 2 T Smoked SALT / Link Below
  • 2 teaspoon Fennel Seed

Instructions
 

Fish Ingredients Prep

  • 6 EGGS: Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks into different bowls. Keep the yolks and set them aside. ( Make Hollandaise sauce with the yolks. Link Below)
  • Whip the egg whites into soft peaks using a whisk or hand mixer. Eggs closer to room temp will incorporate air quicker, which is the point of whipping the eggs.
  • Start adding the measured Kosher salt to the 6 whipped egg whites, plus the smoked salt,

Cooking The Fish

  • Preheat Oven To 450 degrees
  • Using an oven-safe baking dish. Add ⅓ of the salt/seasoning mix to the bottom of your bakeware dish. Spread out enough salt mix to cover the length of the fish.
  • Fill the fish cavity with sliced oranges or slices of Lemon, along with fresh parsley and fennel seeds. ( Crush the fennel seeds to add more flavor, there's an augment to not crush the fennel seeds as well. Depends on how much fennel flavor you want)
  • Place the fish, with head upward. Place on top of the ⅓ of salt/whipped-egg-whites
  • Add the remaining salt/egg-whites to the top part of the fish. Cover with as much as you like. Some people like keeping the head uncovered for preparation.
  • Using a spatula, you can add designs to the salt cast before cooking.
    Idea being adding scales like fish have for presentation.

Video

Notes

  1. Choose Fresh: Opt for Branzino with clear eyes and a fresh scent for the best flavor.
  2. Coarse Salt is Best: It creates the ideal crust texture and ensures even cooking.
  3. Experiment with Herbs: Classics like rosemary and thyme are great, but feel free to try new combinations.
  4. Egg Whites for the Perfect Crust: They help form a crust that's easy to break yet keeps the fish moist.
  5. Watch the Cooking Time: About 20 minutes per pound, but check for doneness to avoid overcooking.
Keyword salt cast fish, Salt Crusted Branzino | MasterClass: Fish Technique Using SALT, salt crusted fish