Salt Crusted Red Snapper

Derek has been dying to make a salt-crusted whole fish, a concept that hardly excites me. Despite my obvious disapproval of this meal, Derek went ahead an bought a fish (AND made me pay for my portion!!!!) so the meal was inevitable.

Here's what he did:

Keller’s Salt-Crusted Striped Bass (we used Red Snapper)

One 3- to 4-pound striped bass, gutted, fins cut off with scissors
4 cup kosher salt
8 large egg whites
About 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
Fronds from 1 fennel bulb (reserve the bulb for another use)
2 thin lemon slices
2 thin orange slices
Extra-virgin olive oil
Optional accompaniments: Gremolata or Lemon Aioli (recipes included)
Cook’s notes: Cleanup on the sheet pan was a challenge. The salt mixture baked into a cement-like mass and I had to use a sturdy spatula and hot-water soaking to remove it. I asked Keller if the pan could be lined with parchment paper or if a home cook could use a disposable aluminum pan. He said yes to both.

Procedure:

1. Remove fish from refrigerator and let stand for 15 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Stir together salt and egg whites in medium bowl. On a large ovenproof platter or baking sheet, make a layer of salt crust mixture just over 1/4 inch thick and slightly larger than the fish, patting mixture down into an even layer.

4. Stuff the back end of the cavity of the fish with parsley and fennel, using twice as much parsley as fennel. Place citrus slices next to them inside the cavity, following the shape of the belly. Center the fish on the salt crust. Working from the bottom to the top of the fish, pat the remaining crust mixture over it in a thin coating, covering it completely. (You may have more of the salt mixture than you need.) Using a paper towel, pat the crust to remove any excess moisture.

5. Roast for about 40 minutes, turning the pan around once after 20 minutes, until the thickest part of the fish registers about 125 degrees (insert the thermometer though the crust). Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

6. To serve the fish, have on hand a serving platter and a try to hold the crust and bones. Crack the crust with a wooden spoon or mallet, breaking it into large pieces and carefully remove it. Push back the skin and using a palette knife or narrow spatula, lift the top fillet, in large pieces, from the frame of bones that runs down the center of the fish and place on the serving platter. Then, starting at the tail end, lift the frame of bones out in one piece. Discard the fennel and parsley, and reserve the citrus slices to use as a garnish. Check the bottom fillet for any visable bones and remove them, then lift out the fillet in large pieces and transfer to the platter. Garnish with the citrus slices and drizzle with olive oil. If desired, serve with either Gremolata or Lemon Aioli. And, if you like, accompany the fish with saffron rice (we did saffron couscous).

In the Salt Crust

Freed from the Salt Crust

This ended up being the first real "fail" from Ad Hoc. I probably ate more of the fish than Derek did as he was just so disappointed. I truly didn't think it was that bad. Sure, it wasn't the most tender fish I've ever had in my life, but it was far from bad. Derek blamed the size and type of fish - it was only a bit over a pound and really didn't produce a ton of meat - but it wasn't worthy of a trip straight to the trash can. So I ate my very small portion and supplemented it with a ton of yummy couscous while Derek picked at the fish, sulked, and then made a hot dog...

Needless to say, I will have to go through this again as Derek is determined to make this work...

Also - I am still picking up scales from the floor of our apartment - they went everywhere while Derek scaled the fish. Next time - I'm ensuring that he A) buys a scaled fish (preferred) or B) goes outside to scale it - I never want to see those nasty scales on my floor again!