Name: Branzino al Sale (Sea Bass in a Salt Crust)
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 sea bass, weighing about 800 g/1 ¾ lb; 4 egg whites; boiled or roasted potatoes, lightly dressed with olive oil, salt and chopped herbs, and wedges of lemon, to serve; 3 fresh rosemary sprigs; 6 fresh sage leaves; 6 fresh thyme sprigs; 1 lemon, zested; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; a handful of fresh parsley; 1 kg/2 ¼ lb coarse sea salt; 1 kg/2 ¼ lb sea salt; 2 or 3 fresh chervil sprigs; 4 bay leaves

Preparation info

Serves
2

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Italian Regional Cookbook

By Valentina Harris

Published 2017

About

This has evolved into a recipe that has become something of a national Italian dish, but my version is the one I learned to make on the beautiful island of Sardinia, and it has never let me down.

Ingredients

1 sea bass, weighing about 800 g/1 ¾ lb
6 fresh sage leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Prepare the fish by gutting and scaling it, then rinse it thoroughly and pat it dry inside and outside.
Chop all the herbs finely and divide them in half. Mix one half with the lemon zest and the garlic.