How to roast a fish in salt

Luciano, who worked as a fisherman before taking over the family restaurant, and still misses the freedom of the ocean, says that when the fish is really fresh -- this sea bass had been caught that morning by his uncle -- he simply scales it, but doesn't clean it. If you are cooking your own catch, you may want to follow his lead or not; if you are using purchased fish you should clean it, and slip a few herbs of choice into the cavity, for example a sprig of rosemary, a bay leaf, and a little sage or a lemon slice. Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C; Luciano uses a slightly lower temperature)

Next, take a pan large enough to hold the body of the fish and line it with a half-inch (1 cm) thick layer of Kosher salt. Set the fish on the salt (if the tail sticks out, wrap it in aluminum foil) and cover it with another half-inch layer of salt. Some people mix a beaten egg white into the salt to hold it together, but Luciano just moistens it.