Salt-roasting works best with medium-sized to large fish (2-8 pounds), and will also work with center-cut portions of yet larger fish. Though it will work with any kind of fish, since the salt seals the juices in I prefer the technique with white fleshed, non-oily fish, along the lines of sea bass, red snapper, grouper, or porgy. Pictured here are the fish prepared by Luciano Zazzari, who has a wonderful beachside restaurant at Marina di Bibbona, south of Livorno on the Tuscan coast. The gamberoni were an
antipasto, the red reef mullet were cooked
alla livornese, with tomatoes, and the orata (sea bass), which weighed 3 k (6.6 pounds) was roasted in salt.
So, to sum up, you'll need:
-
One or more fish, depending upon how many people you are serving. Figure a half pound of fresh fish per person.
- The herbs you prefer for the cavity of the fish. I like rosemary, bay leaf, and lemon.
- 5 pounds (2 1/2 k) coarse Kosher salt (you probably won't use it all)
- A pan large enough for the fish to lie flat, and if you are cooking more than one, in a single layer
