Salt crusting fish is one of the more dramatic ways to prepare a whole fish. Cracking the salt crust and revealing a perfectly cooked whole fish is always so incredibly satisfying. The fact that salt crusted fish comes out more evenly cooked and with better moisture retention is almost second to the drama of the presentation.

We like to stuff smaller snakeheads with lemongrass and limes before baking them, but you can put anything you want in the cavity before covering it up with salt. Any fresh herbs, citrus, or bright, acidic vegetables like tomatoes would work beautifully. The world is your oyster here.

This is a simple process that you can do with just about any fish you would want to oven roast. It works best with fish that have larger bones and even thickness. Cook time varies on the size of the fish, use a thermometer to gauge doneness for best results.

It’s best to cut the gills out of any fish you salt crust. This is technically optional, but the end product looks better and has less blood staining on the salt.

Salt Crusted Snakehead

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

Fish, scales on, gutted, gills removed

Kosher salt, around 2 lbs for a 2-3 lb fish

Method

Mix your salt with a tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture resembles wet sand. It's a lot easier to add more water than to keep adding salt after putting too much water in to begin with, so take your time adding the water.

Stuff the cavity of the fish with herbs, citrus, whatever you want.

On a sheet pan, spread a thin (~¼-½”) layer of the salt mixture roughly in the shape of the fish, making sure the salt base layer is slightly bigger than the fish itself. Place the fish on the salt and use the remaining salt to form an even crust over the fish. Don’t just pat it on top, sculpt it around the sides and connect it with the salt base. This will hold the steam in as you cook the fish.

Bake at 400F until the internal temperature hits 125-135F. This is about 45 mins for a 3 lb fish. 

After the fish has reached the desired temperature, pull from the oven and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes. When ready to serve, crack the salt crust and brush salt away from the fish. Fold the fillet over from the spine downwards, using the skin as a barrier between the salt and the flesh.  Peel the meat away from the ribs, and then either lift the entire ribcage out to get to the other fillet, or flip the fish over.

We ate our snakehead with couscous, broiled tomato, basil and fresh parmesan.