Branzino al Sale (Mediterranean Sea Bass Roasted in a Salt Crust)

This classic Italian prep is absolutely our favorite way to enjoy branzino (Mediterranean sea bass — known in French as loup de mer). Order it in an Italian restaurant, and it will set you back a pretty penny (even forty or fifty bucks!). But making it at home is much easier than you might think — in fact, it’s nearly foolproof.

There are oodles of recipes out there for it. Some use egg white (or whites) to moisten the salt, but water works just as well. Some have you brush the fish with oil so the salt doesn’t stick to it, but we’ve never oiled and never had that problem. You can use whatever citrus or herbs you like to flavor the fish; we love the classic combo of lemon and thyme.

Have your fishmonger clean the fish, leaving on the head and tail. (Unless you’re squeamish and don’t want to see them — then ask to have them removed.)

The branzini (that’s the plural of branzino) we usually find at our supermarket weigh about a pound — so that’s what we’re calling for here; it makes a perfect light main course for two. That said, one a wee bit larger is even nicer. You should have enough salt to encase a fish up to about a pound and a half. Any larger than that, you’ll want to make a bit more salt crust (just use the same proportion of salt and water).

Serves 2.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds / 700 g salt

1 branzino (1 to 1 1/2 pounds / 450 g to 700 g)

A few branches of thyme

Four or five thin round slices of lemon

Lemon wedges and your best olive oil for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 C). Put the salt in a medium bowl, and drizzle 1/3 cup (80 ml) of water onto it. Use your hands to mix it thoroughly, until it feels like damp (not wet) sand. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Spread about a third of the salt onto the parchment in a shape a little larger than the fish.

2. Rinse the fish, making sure to remove any innards the fishmonger missed (in the cavity usually near the head), and pat it dry with paper towels. Tuck the thyme and lemon slices inside the cavity and lay the fish onto the salt bed. Cover the fish with the rest of the moistened salt to encase it; it’s okay to leave the head and tail poking out if you don’t have enough salt to completely cover it. Make sure the body is completely covered; pat the salt so it’s firm. Roast for 25 minutes.

3. Crack the crust by setting the handle of a wooden spoon on it, and banging gently on the other end with a heavy object; don’t bang so hard that you damage the fish. Remove the crust, carefully transfer the fish to a cutting board or platter and fillet it. (Here’s a good how-to from Serious Eats.) Don’t worry if it’s not pretty; you can reassemble it on the platter if it breaks apart (you’ll soon get good at filleting!). Garnish with lemon wedges, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately.