Striped Bass in Salt Dome
- 1 striped bass, 5 to 6 pounds, gills removed, fins trimmed
- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 (3 pound) boxes of kosher salt
- 1 handful parsley
- 1 fennel bulb, (with stem) quartered
- Several sprigs thyme
- 1 lemon, sliced thin
- 1/2 orange, sliced thin
- Olive oil
- Heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Cover the bottom of a baking sheet large enough to hold the fish with parchment paper.
- Rinse fish inside and out with cold water and drain.
- Dry with paper towels.
- Stuff body cavity with herbs and citrus, saving a few lemon slices for garnish.
- Set aside.
- Pour 1 box of salt into a large bowl, add egg whites and water, then the second box of salt.
- Use your hands to work mixture to a mortar-like consistency.
- Lay down a 1/2-inch thick bed for the fish to lay on with a 1-inch clearance on all sides.
- Lay the fish on this bed and pile the remainder of the salt mortar on top.
- Work into a smooth dome completely encasing the fish.
- (Don't worry if the head or tail poke out a little.)
- Cook approximately 35 minutes.
- Check for doneness by pushing the probe of an instant read thermometer through the salt into the fish.
- When temperature reaches 130 degrees, remove from oven, and rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Open the fish at the table by hitting the dome several times with a small hammer and lifting off the slabs of salt.
- Brush away any stray salt.
- Gently pull out dorsal (back) fin.
- Using a fish knife or serrated pie server, make a single incision all the way down the back of the fish and around the gill plate.
- Then lift the skin off working from the head to the tail.
- Remove meat from top side of fish, going down one side of the spine then the other.
- Grasp the tail and remove the skeleton, (it should come up intact).
- The meat revealed below will slide right off the skin.
- Sprinkle meat with a little virgin oil and lemon juice.
- Serve immediately.
bass, egg whites, water, kosher salt, handful parsley, fennel bulb, thyme, lemon, orange, olive oil
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/striped-bass-in-salt-dome-recipe0.html (may not work)