Salt-Crusted Dorade

Serves	4
Region	French
Website	Adapted from Less is Morbier

The salt-crusted dorade is covered by a crust that traps in moisture which steams the meat and produces a tender and flavorful fish, moist and delightful.

Ingredients

2 (1 pound) whole dorade, sometimes called sea bass or sea brim (cleaned and gutted, with the scales and fins removed)
4 Sprigs rosemary
2 lemons (1 cut in 1/4 in slices, the other reserved)
4 Pounds kosher salt
12 egg whites
1/2 cup water
olive oil
salt and pepper

Note

Use a meat thermometer to test doneness. The original recipe said to cook the fish for 15 minutes, but mine took much longer to reach the correct temperature. You want your fish to be at 135-140 degrees when you remove it from the oven. It will continue to cook some while it rests.

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, salt and 1/2 cup water. Spread 1/4 of the salt over each sheet, creating a rectangle that is just larger than the fish.
Step 3
Gently fill the fish with rosemary and lemon slices. Lay the fish on top of the salt beds. Cover the fish with the remaining salt mixture, enclosing it completely in the salt crust.
Step 4
Bake the fish until the salt is golden brown and the fish is at an internal temperature of 135 - 140 degrees about 25 minutes.
Step 5
Remove the fish from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Break the salt crust, and carefully scrape it off the fish. The skin will easily peel from the fish. Gently remove the filets and serve with lemon slices and olive oil.