Salt-Crusted Sea Bass

Name: Salt-Crusted Sea Bass
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: Whole Sea Bass; 3 Egg Whites; 1 Bunch Parsley; 1 Lemon; 300g / 1½ Cups Salt Crystals; 300g / 1½ Cups Fine Salt

Smoked

We bet you've never had fish so moist and flavorful. Come find out why this is our chef's favorite MEATER Master Class recipe.

Complexity

Nice and Easy

Prep Time

0 H 30 M

Appliance

Smoker

Cook Time

0 H 40 M

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Let’s Cook

Ingredients:

Whole Sea Bass

700g / 1½ lbs recommended Scale-on, cleaned, and gutted recommended

3 Egg Whites

1 Bunch Parsley

1 Lemon

300g / 1½ Cups Salt Crystals

300g / 1½ Cups Fine Salt

Tools:

Smoker Fuel

Parchment Paper

Electric Mixer

Standard whisk can be used

Baking Tray

Mixing Bowl

Dish Towel

Spoon

Cutting Board

Heat-Resistant Gloves

About This Recipe:

Right now you might be thinking something like, "Salt crust? I want to eat something FROM the ocean, not eat the actual ocean." If we just took the words out of your mouth, let us assure you that the crust comes off before serving, so you're not about to take a big bite out of a salt chunk. When fish is smothered in salt while cooking, it keeps moisture from escaping, so your sea bass will turn out more moist and evenly cooked, and it will be flavorful without being overpowering. Think less briny and more divine-y. Salt-crusted sea bass is a beloved dish at several stylish restaurants, but the biggest drawback of cooking it is that there isn't a good way to monitor the temperature while the fish is covered. At least, there wasn't, until MEATER came on the scene. Our totally wireless probe makes it easy to keep an eye on your sea bass without having to mess up your beautiful salt casing. If you want a full meal with a classic Mediterranean feel, enjoy your sea bass with a zingy Greek salad and some herb roasted potatoes. Fragrant white wines like riesling or sauvignon blanc are a perfect choice for this dish.

Cooking Method:

Slice Lemon

Thinly slice your lemon.

Citrus is a pretty classic ingredient for fish dishes in cuisines all over the world because seafood works well with a little bit of a tangy flavor.

Beat Egg Whites

Beat your egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form.

As tempting as it might be to skip a few steps and just dump a pile of salt on your fish, it needs a binding agent, or else it'll just fall apart and get everywhere. Adding whipped egg whites will form a paste so the crust can keep its shape in the smoker. Try to avoid any traces of yolk, because this can make the whisking process a lot harder.

Add Salt

Pour your salt into the egg whites.

Suggestions may vary between recipes, but in our experience, a 50/50 ratio of fine salt to salt crystals gives us the best crust consistency.

Mix Salt Paste

Stir the salt mixture until it's fully combined.

Be careful if you leave the room after this step, just in case someone sees the mixing bowl and mistakes it for vanilla meringue or whipped cream. Unless, of course, you do it on purpose to play a really salty prank on someone.