Branzino in a salt crust.
I used to eat this in Italy after a day at a beautiful Mediterranean beach. Sunshine, salty hair, and delicious fish—what more could you want? This restaurant favorite is surprisingly easy to make at home. A must-try!
No branzino? Use whole sea bream or snapper instead, with the skin and scales left on.
- Serves
- 2
- Oven
- 400°F / 200°C
- Time
- About 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 whole branzino, about 1½ lb / 700 g, gutted, with scales left on
- About 3 lb / 1.4 kg coarse sea salt
- 2 egg whites and a little water, as needed
- 2 lemon slices and a few sprigs of parsley or thyme
- Extra-virgin olive oil and lemon, to serve
Let's cook!
Fill the fish
Heat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Pat the fish dry and tuck the lemon and herbs into its belly. Keep the opening closed so salt stays out.
Build its salty blanket
Mix the salt with the egg whites, adding a splash of water if needed, until it feels like damp sand. Spread a ½-inch / 1-cm bed on a lined baking tray, lay the fish on top, and cover completely with the remaining mixture.
Bake
Bake for about 25–30 minutes, depending on thickness, until the thickest part reaches 145°F / 63°C. Larger fish need longer.
Crack and enjoy!
Rest for 5 minutes, gently crack the crust, and lift it away. Brush off loose salt, remove the skin and bones, then serve the fish with good olive oil and lemon. The crust is its cooking blanket—discard it!
A little taste of Italy, beach day optional! ☀
Make fish a twice-a-week habit! The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish a week, especially fatty fish.