Whole white fish in a salt crust
There is hardly anything as easy, delicious, or festive as a whole fish prepared in a salt crust. You can use redfish or sea bass, for example.
Watch the video of Bart van Olphen below!
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Fill the fish's belly cavity with the fennel, lemon slices, parsley, dill, and orange zest, along with the diced apple and walnut pieces. Set aside.
Mix the coarse salt with the egg whites and a few drops of cold water. Once the mixture feels like wet sand, it is ready. Spread half of the salt mixture in a baking dish to create a bed for the fish. Place the fish on top, then cover it completely with the remaining salt mixture, ensuring it is fully enclosed. Transfer the fish to the oven. For a fish weighing more than one kilogram, bake for 30-35 minutes. For a smaller fish, bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on its size.
Remove the fish from the oven. Gently tap the salt crust with the back of a large knife until it cracks. Carefully remove the salt from the fish and cut the skin lengthwise. Fold the skin to the side so you can scoop out the fish meat. Make sure the salt does not come into contact with the flesh.
Serve – as strange as it may sound – with some sea salt and olive oil, anchovy fillets. Garnish with extra parsley and serve.