Salted Fish with Olive Oil and Herbs

Name: Salted Fish with Olive Oil and Herbs
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 whole fish weighing 1 lb (450 g) each approx. or 4 × 6 ozs (170 g) fillets of white fish, e.g. bass, bream, grey sea mullet or mackerel; 4 fl ozs (100 ml/½ cup) olive oil; 2 tablesp. mixed freshly chopped chives, basil and parsley or chives, fennel, lemon balm and parsley; 1½ ozs (45 g) coarse sea salt (we use Maldon)

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Simply Delicious 2

By Darina Allen

Published 1990

About

Anne Willan of La Varenne Cookery School in Paris told me about salting fish in this Japanese way; it intensifies the flavour and makes it taste even more delicious.

Ingredients

4 whole fish weighing 1 lb (450 g) each approx. or 4 × 6

Fish course
Pescatarian
Gluten-free

Method

If you are using whole fish, gut them carefully, scale if necessary and wash and dry well with kitchen paper. Cut 3 or 4 deep slashes diagonally on each side, almost to the bone. Put the fish on a tray and sprinkle it on both sides with coarse sea salt. Leave in the fridge for 2–3 hours, turning occasionally.

If you are using fish fillets there is no need to slash them, but salt them an