Sea Bass Baked in Salt

• 2 whole sea bass (600g each) gutted
• 2kg coarse salt
• 2 egg whites
• aromatic herbs (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf)
• lemon to serve

👨‍🍳 Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. 2

   Mix the coarse salt with the egg whites until it has a damp sand texture.

3. 3

   Cover the bottom of the dish with 1cm of salt. Place the sea bass on top with herbs in the belly.

4. 4

   Completely cover the fish with more salt. Seal well.

5. 5

   Bake for 30 minutes. Break the salt crust at the table and serve with a squeeze of lemon.

💡 Chef's tip

The egg whites make the salt set, forming a solid crust that can be dramatically broken at the table.

📝 Our take

Salt-baked sea bass looks more dramatic than it really is. The white mound in the oven has something ritualistic about it, and breaking it open at the table—with a mallet blow—has real theatre. Inside, the fish is perfect: juicy, full of its own flavour with no interference, without a drop of oil. The best way to cook high-quality white fish.

🍷 Wine & food pairing

Very cold Albariño from Rías Baixas or a Manzanilla de Sanlúcar. A saline white that complements the fish without overpowering it.

Suggested wine: Albariño from Rías Baixas