Red mullet baked in sea salt
Serves 2
Baking fish in salt is a ludicrously easy cooking method, which may be used for any kind of fish. The salt coagulates into a brittle mass, like rock, which enables you to start the proceedings at the table in a spectacular manner by cracking the rock open to reveal the fish.
Ingredients
- 2 large or 4 small whole red mullet
- 1kg/2 lb sea salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp water
- Pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped herbs, eg tarragon, rosemary, chervil, fennel, dill
Method
- Preheat oven to 190C/380F/Gas 5.
- Season fish with pepper and herbs.
- Tip salt into mixing bowl. Beat water and egg white and add to salt. Turn over several times, rapidly, to make the salt fairly sticky.
- On a baking tray, make bed of salt 1cm/ ½ inch thick and just wide enough to accommodate the fish. Place fish on bed and cover with remaining salt. Pat down gently.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on size of fish..
- To serve, crack open salt crust and remove fish carefully to plate.
