Salt Encrusted Red Snapper Recipes

WHOLE RED SNAPPER BAKED IN SALT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Rinse and dry the fish thoroughly. Whisk together the egg whites and water and combine with the salt in a large mixing bowl. Work the mixture with your hands to distribute the water and egg whites in the salt. The salt mixture should hold together when you press a mound of it together between the palms of your hands. If it doesn't, work in another egg white.
• Fill a baking dish that is 2 inches longer than the fish about 1/3 full of the salt mixture. Place the fish on top. Cover the fish with the rest of the salt mixture and smooth the salt over with a spatula. Place the fish in the oven for about 40 minutes. The only way to know whether the fish is done is by inserting an instant-read thermometer through the layer of salt and measuring the temperature of the fish. When it reaches 135 degrees F, take it out, and serve immediately.
• Bring the fish to the table on a baking sheet or on a large platter and crack it with a mallet or even a hammer. Pull back the salt layer, then peel off the skin with a fork. Serve on hot plates.

CRUMB-COATED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, lemon pepper and salt; add fillets, one at a time, and turn to coat., In a heavy skillet over medium heat, cook fillets in oil, in batches, until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork, 4-5 minutes on each side.

SALT-ROASTED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse fish thoroughly inside and out until no traces of blood remain. Pat fish dry with paper towels.
• In a large bowl, stir together salt and egg whites until thoroughly combined. Place a 1/2-inch layer of salt mixture in the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Place lemon rounds, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves on top of salt, arranging ingredients so they form shape of fish and reserving some of each ingredient. Fill fish cavity with reserved lemons and herbs; place the fish on top of mixture.
• Pour the remaining salt over fish, completely covering the body; the tail can stick out of the pan. Using your fingers, pat down salt, completely sealing the fish.
• Place pan in center of oven. Cook fish until done, allowing 15 minutes per pound. (One way chefs check for doneness is to insert a carving fork or metal skewer through the salt crust and into the fish, then place it to the chin under lower lip for 15 seconds; if the metal feels very warm, the fish is done.) Remove pan from oven; let sit 5 minutes.
• Gently break away crust. Transfer fish to a cutting board. Using a paring knife and your fingers, peel away skin. Separate, and serve.

BAKED RED SNAPPER IN A SALT CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl blend together the flour, cornmeal, coarse salt, and fresh rosemary. Add the egg whites and the water. Stir to combine. Add more water if necessary to form a stiff dough.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough. Transfer it to a baking sheet. Wrap the whole red snapper completely in the dough. Press the edges of the dough to seal. Put in oven and bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove the crust. Fillet and serve the fish. Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio, Mastroberardino, 1994

SALT AND HERB CRUSTED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• With a sharp knife, make 5 slits, at an angle and about 1 1/2 inches apart, on each side of the fish. Rub 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over each side of the fish, then season each side with Creole seasoning. Place the fish on the prepared baking sheet. Combine the kosher salt, herbs, lemon zest, and juice, orange zest and juice, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Mound the mixture evenly on the surface of the fish, leaving the head and tail uncovered. With your fingers, firmly press the mixture into the flesh. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and cool for 2 minutes.
• With the back of a heavy spoon or a mallet, lightly pound the salt crust to crack it open, beginning at the tail end. Carefully pull off the salt crust. Then, with a small spatula or wide knife, remove the flesh from the bone on the top side of the fish. Remove the back bone, then serve the flesh from the bottom side of the fish. Spoon the rice in the center of each serving plate. Lay the fish on top of the rice. Spoon some of the salsa over each serving.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss well. Allow the salad to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

SALT CRUSTED WHOLE RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• When cooking with a whole fish you must first be sure that the fish is gutted, your local fish market will do this for you. The skin should be scaled and the gills and fins removed. Leave on the head and tail. Rinse the fish inside and out then pat dry.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the parsley, orange, fennel, bay leaves, shallot, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, and 1/4-cup olive oil. Stuff the cavity of the fish with 3/4 of the mixture, then spread the remaining 1/4 on the bottom of a roasting pan so the fish will not stick.
• Transfer the fish to the roasting pan and rub the skin with remaining olive oil. In another bowl, whip the egg whites to a stiff peak, then fold in the salt to make a paste. Smear the salt paste over the entire fish and roast in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes. The egg whites form a hard crust that will crack like a shell. To serve, scoop the flesh from the fish with a spoon.

WHOLE RED SNAPPER BAKED IN A SALT CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• In a bowl stir together salt and water until combined well. On a large baking sheet spread half of salt mixture in a rectangle just larger than the red snapper and set fish on top. Halve lemon crosswise and cut 3 slices from 1 half, reserving remaining half. Insert slices into cavity of fish. Pat remaining salt mixture over fish to cover completely and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes.
• Rap all around edge of salt crust with the back of a large spoon to loosen and lift top off. Squeeze juice from reserved lemon half over fish and drizzle with oil.

HERB-CRUSTED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the first nine ingredients; cover and process until fennel is finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl; dip fillets in herb mixture, coating both sides., In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook fillets in oil for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

SALT BAKED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a rack in the center. Rinse fish thoroughly, inside and out, until no traces of blood remain. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Stuff cavity of fish with a few lemon slices, a few sprigs of parsley, a few sprigs of thyme, and a bay leaf; set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together salt and egg whites until thoroughly combined. Spread a 1/2-inch layer of salt, about the size of the fish, in a baking dish. Arrange the remaining lemon slices, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves over the salt; place fish on top of herbs.
• Pour the remaining salt over fish, completely covering the body; the tail can stick over edge of pan. Using your fingers, pat down salt, completely sealing the fish.
• Place pan in oven, and cook until fish is done, allowing 15 minutes per pound. (One way chefs check for doneness is to insert a carving fork or metal skewer through the salt crust and into the fish, then place the skewer to the chin under lower lip for 15 seconds; if the metal feels very warm the fish is done.) Remove pan from oven; let sit 5 minutes.
• Gently break away the crust. Transfer fish to a cutting board. Using a paring knife and your fingers, peel away skin. Separate, and serve.

SALT-CRUSTED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Rinse snapper inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
• Season fish inside and out with pepper.
• In a bowl, stir together egg whites, water and salt to make a paste.
• Spread half of salt paste over the bottom of an oval roasting pan.
• Place fish on top; pack remaining salt paste over entire surface of fish.
• Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of fish registers 135 degrees F., about 50-60 minutes.
• The salt paste will have formed a hard crust; gently crack it with a spoon, lift off crust and discard.
• Serve fish immediately.