Baked Sea Bass In Herbed Salt Crust Recipes

SEA BASS BAKED IN A SALT CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place salt in a baking dish, and heat in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Remove salt from oven, and increase temperature to 450 degrees. In the bottom of a roasting pan large enough for the fish, spoon about a third of the warm salt in the approximate shape and size of the fish. Lay 2 slices of lemon and 3 sprigs of tarragon on the salt.
• Lay the fish on top. Place the remaining lemon slices and tarragon on top of the fish. Spoon the remaining salt on top of the fish, patting it on the sides and making sure to cover it completely.
• Bake the fish 10 to 12 minutes, or 8 minutes for each inch of thickness. Check for doneness by inserting the tip of a knife through the salt crust into the thickest part of the fish and wedging it slightly to see if the flesh is cooked.
• Remove fish from oven, and quickly break off the salt, brushing off as much as possible. Transfer to a serving platter. At the table, remove the skin and fillet the fish. Pass the olive oil for sprinkling over the fillets.

BAKED SEA BASS IN HERBED SALT CRUST

Steps:

• Rinse sea bass under cold water and pat dry inside and out. Sprinkle cavity of bass with 1/2 teaspoon tarragon and pepper.
• With a sharp knife trim ends of lemon to expose flesh and, standing lemon on one end, cut from top to bottom to remove peel and pitch. Cut lemon crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange in cavity.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. and lightly oil a baking pan.
• In a bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons tarragon, coarse salt, and flour. Stir in 1 cup warm water plus additional as necessary to form a slightly stiff paste (paste should resemble wet sand).
• Arrange bass in oiled pan. Coat top of bass completely with half of salt mixture, patting it on, and turn bass over. Coat other side in same manner (bass should be completely covered).
• Bake bass in middle of oven 30 minutes. Crack salt crust with a sharp knife or hammer and remove top crust, discarding it. To serve,lift bass in pieces off bones and discard bones. Lift out remaining bass. Serve bass with lemon wedges.

SALT-BAKED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
• Mix the salt with the egg whites and put a thin layer in the bottom of a roasting tin.
• Place the fish on the salt and cover completely with the remaining salt.
• Cook for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, Crack the salt crust with the back of a heavy knife and remove completely. Remove the flesh from the fish (it should fall off the bone) and serve.

BAKED SEA BASS IN CRUST WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Place all pastry ingredients except water in the bowl of a food processor and blend for 5 seconds. Add water gradually and blend until pastry pulls away from the sides and begins to form a ball. On a floured board, shape the dough into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place the fish on a flat surface. Sprinkle its cavity with salt and pepper and stuff it with the basil leaves.
• Divide the chilled pastry in half and roll out one half into a rectangle 16 by 9 inches. Arrange the pastry on a large baking sheet. Arrange the fish lengthwise over the center of the pastry. Brush the pastry all around the fish with the egg yolk mixture.
• Roll out the remaining pastry in a rectangle and place over fish. Press the pastry around the sides of the fish to seal it. Use a sharp knife to cut pastry around fish, leaving a border of about 1 1/2 inches. If you wish, trim the pastry into the shape of a fish and decorate the top with cutouts or a scale pattern using a No. 6 pastry tube to indent the dough. Brush pastry with remaining egg yolk mixture.
• Place the fish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned. Reduce to 400 degrees. If necessary cover crust with aluminum foil. Cook for 15 minutes more. Serve immediately with tomato coulis with basil.