Salt-Crusted Snapper with Eggplant-Raisin Puree

• Three 4-inch cinnamon sticks
• 1 medium eggplant (1 pound)
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Cayenne pepper
• 3 pounds kosher salt
• 2 cups water
• One 2-pound cleaned red snapper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 lemon, preferably Meyer lemon, cut into wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Poke the cinnamon into the eggplant.
3. Roast the eggplant on a baking sheet until tender, about 50 minutes.
4. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool slightly.
5. Discard the cinnamon and peel the eggplant.
6. In a microwave-safe bowl, cover the raisins with water and microwave at high power until plumped, about 30 seconds.
7. Drain the raisins and transfer them to a blender.
8. Add the roasted eggplant and the olive oil and puree until smooth.
9. Season the puree with sea salt and cayenne.
10. In a bowl, mix the kosher salt with the water until it is the consistency of moist sand.
11. On a parchment paperlined baking sheet, mound one-fourth of the salt slightly larger than the fish.
12. Lay the fish on the salt and fill its cavity with the bay leaves and lemon wedges.
13. Poke a short skewer into the thickest part of the fish, just behind the head.
14. Pack the remaining kosher salt over and around the fish to enclose it; leave the skewer visible.
15. Bake the fish for about 35 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the skewer hole registers 135.
16. Let the fish rest for 5 minutes; crack and remove the salt crust.
17. Serve the fish without the skin, with the eggplant puree alongside.

three, eggplant, golden raisins, extravirgin olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, water, red snapper, bay leaves, lemon

Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/salt-crusted-snapper-eggplant-raisin-puree (may not work)