Salt-Baked Sea Bass with Tomato Vinaigrette

One of the great pleasures of eating at seafood restaurants in coastal Spain is watching the waiters rush to and fro ceremoniously bearing platters of whole fish baked in an armor of sea salt to be filleted with great pomp at the table. Quintessentially Mediterranean, this method of cooking seals in the fish’s sweet flavor. And, since the salt crust is removed at serving time, the fish isn’t salty in the least. The warm cherry tomato vinaigrette is the perfect accompaniment.