Salt Baked Fish With Lemon Olive Relish Recipes

WHOLE SALT-BAKED FISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stuff the cavity of the fish with lemon slices, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the salt and egg whites with your hands; it will become the consistency of wet sand.
• In a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet that is large enough to fit the entire fish (it's okay if the fish only just fits), lay one-third of the salt mixture down, roughly in the shape of the fish. Place the fish on top of the salt mixture and pack the remaining salt mixture around the fish, leaving exposed the area from the eyes to the nose, and also the tail fin. The salt mixture should fully encase the fish, but may not fill the pan. In fact, unless you use a really narrow pan, you'll probably leave most of the pan exposed.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the fish is 130 to 135 degrees F. Depending on the exact size of your fish, your cooking time may vary. Don't break the salt crust while it's cooking or you'll let the juices escape. If you have one of those nice thermometers with the wires that you can leave in the oven while you cook to determine temperature, use that, and pack the salt around the probe to seal it in before cooking. If you don't have one of those fancy thermometers, check the temp by going through the exposed mouth with a probe thermometer. Once done, remove the fish from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• While the fish is resting, whisk together the lemon juice and zest, oil, Dijon, salt, and pepper to make a lemon vinaigrette to serve over the fish.
• To remove the fish from the salt shell, use a butter knife and a wooden mallet or spoon. Like a paleontologist, I try to guess where the dorsal fin would be. Hit the fish right there, in the middle of the back (remember it's laying on its side). I place the tip of the butter knife where the dorsal fin was and tap it with the mallet or spoon, putting it in and giving it a wiggle. I score all the way around the fish, like I'm excavating it, so I can remove the salt dome in one piece. It doesn't mess anything up if you don't get it off in the one piece, but it just looks cooler if you do. Once you've gone all the way around the outline of the fish, remove the top part of the salt dome.
• The skin is a little chewy, but it still tastes good, so help yourself to a piece. Cook's reward. Then go under the skin with a fork, down to the spine, and slide across the bottom to filet the fish from the spine. You might get it all in one filet. But most times you have to go back and clean it up.
• Then take the mallet and butter knife, and place the knife at the base of the spine where it meets the head. Tap the handle end of the butter knife with the mallet to crack the spine. Remove the entire spine and bones. With a fork, slide along the bottom of the fish, between the flesh and the salt crust, to remove the other fish filet. You probably won't get the skin off cleanly with this filet, and that's fine.
• This will yield two 10-ounce (or so) filets. Place each filet on a plate and finish with a spoonful of the lemon vinaigrette and a sprinkle of salt and parsley on top.

WOOD-ROASTED STRIPED BASS WITH MEYER LEMON AND OLIVE RELISH

Steps:

• For first step in this recipe is to set up your outdoor grill, a hibachi or kettle grill with do just fine. Use natural hardwood charcoal. Start the fire with kindling and paper; light it with only matches-not lighter fluid. Lighter fluid will give the food an unnatural chemical taste. Get the charcoal to a medium heat and set the grill rack about 4 inches above the coals.
• Make a few slits into the sides of the fish and insert the garlic slices into the incisions. Rub the fish with salt and oil. Grill for about 8 minutes per side. After turning the fish, rub olive oil and salt onto the spring onions and grill with the fish for the remaining 8 minutes. Remove fish and onions from the grill and onto a warm plate.
• For the relish simply mix all of the ingredients together and scoop onto the hot fish (can be made a day inn advance).

GROUPER WITH FENNEL AND OLIVE RELISH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Saute the onions with salt and pepper until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the fennel and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. Set aside to cool.
• Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. The relish can be refrigerated overnight.
• Heat a grill. Brush fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• To serve, place fish on a serving platter or individual plates and top with relish.

FISH BAKED IN SALT WITH ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Rinse the whole fish and pat it dry. In a heavy casserole large enough to hold the fish and all the salt, make a 2 inch layer of salt. Make a shallow, fish shaped impression in the salt and lay the fish on top. Distribute the remaining salt around and over the fish so that it is completely covered. Pat the salt down gently, cover the casserole and bake for about 1 hour. Remove the cover and tap the salt to break it (it will have formed an armorlike crust). Break the crust and pull off most of the salt. Then peel away and discard the skin. Serve the flesh immediately, accompanied by the Romesco sauce.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, soak the bread cubes in the vinegar for 20 minutes. Toast the almonds for 10 to 15 minutes, watching closely. Cool the almonds completely, then grind them in a mortar and pestle or food processor until they are finely ground but not oily. Add the vinegar soaked bread, tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper to the processor and grind together briefly until evenly pureed. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream.

FISH WITH LEMON-PARSLEY RELISH

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, cut off top and bottom of lemon, then slice away peel and white pith. Cut out lemon segments and chop; transfer to a small bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl. Stir in parsley, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, and capers, if using; season relish with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add shallot and cook until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Gradually add spinach and cook, tossing, until just wilted, 4 to 6 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Wipe skillet clean.
• Season fish with salt and pepper. Fold each fillet into thirds. Place fish in skillet and pour in wine; bring to a boil over high. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until fish is just opaque, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve with lemon-parsley relish and spinach.