Name: Salt-Baked Whole Branzino
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 8 cups (3 pounds) kosher salt; ⅔ cup water , plus extra as needed; 4 large egg whites; 2 (1½- to 2-pound) whole branzino , about 16 inches long, scaled, gutted, fins snipped off with scissors; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 lemon , sliced thin, plus lemon wedges for serving

Why This Recipe Works

We found that baking branzino in a salt crust not only seasoned the fish throughout—and perfectly— but it also cooked the entire body evenly for some of the most succulent fish we've tasted. In fact, when we compared a salt-crusted fish to a whole fish baked directly on a baking sheet, the fillet touching the sheet was overcooked by 30 degrees by the time the top fillet was just done; the insulated salt-encased fish cooked evenly. Traditionally sea salt is used but we found that affordable kosher salt worked just fine. We combined the salt with a mixture of egg whites and water to create a workable paste.

Before You Begin

Avoid fish weighing more than 2 pounds. Red snapper and sea bass are good substitutes for branzino. We developed this recipe using Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, the weight equivalence for 8 cups is 4½ pounds. To take the temperature, insert the thermometer into the fillets through the opening by the gills.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir salt, water, and egg whites in large bowl until well combined. (Mixture should hold together when squeezed; if necessary, continue to stir, adding extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture holds.)

Rinse branzino under cold running water and pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Working with 1 branzino at a time, open cavity, spread half of garlic on flesh, and stuff with half of lemon slices.

Divide 3 cups of salt mixture into two even mounds on prepared sheet. Pat mounds into 10 by 4-inch rectangles, spaced about 1 inch apart. Lay 1 branzino lengthwise across each mound. Gently pack remaining salt mixture evenly around each branzino, leaving heads and tails exposed. Roast until branzino registers 135 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let branzino rest for 5 minutes.

Using back of serving spoon, gently tap top and sides of salt crusts to crack into large pieces and discard. Using spatula, transfer branzino to cutting board and brush away excess salt. Fillet each branzino by making vertical cut just behind head from top of fish to belly. Make another cut along top of branzino from head to tail. Starting at head and working toward tail, gently slide spatula between top fillet and bones to separate; transfer fillet to serving platter skin side up. Gently lift tail and peel skeleton and head from bottom fillet; discard head, skeleton, and lemon slices. Transfer second fillet skin side up to platter; discard skin. Serve with lemon wedges.