When my food stylist pal Sienna DeGovia brought the ingredients for this little wonder to the studio one day, we both had no real idea what the final product would look like. In the end it was quite a win and definitely uniquely impressive. This dish is an interesting take on traditional salt crusted fish but this time you’ll make a salt crust that resembles a meringue and pile it on top of the fish. The results are spectacularly beautiful while uncompromisingly satisfying and delicious. Tender, flaky, salty but with a hint of that snapper sweetness this recipe makes a simple idea special. Give it a whirl, it’s easier than it looks.
Salt Meringue Crusted Whole Red Snapper
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This salt crusted snapper is as beautiful as it is delicious. A whipped salt meringue coats the fish and it bakes within this salt cloud. Crazy good!
Author: Crystal Cartier
Recipe type: Dinner, Entree, Seafood
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Paleo
Serves: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (4-pound) whole red snapper, cleaned and de-scaled
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 pound fresh fennel, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup kosher salt
Instructions
- Leave head and tail on. Rinse the fish inside and out then pat dry.
- Combine the parsley, lemon, fennel, bay leaves, shallot, fennel seed, and ¼-cup olive oil. Stuff the cavity of the fish with ¾ of the mixture, then spread the remaining ¼ 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 type of salted meringue. Smear the salted fluffy goodness 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. Pull chunks of the crust away to reveal the savory fish beneath. Scoop the flesh from the fish with a spoon. Watch for bones!
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
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