Baked Salt Crusted Fish; Whole Pompano
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Enjoy the elegance of fine dining and make fish like the pro’s using this baked salt crusted fish recipe.
If you’ve never baked a fish encrusted in salt you are in for a big surprise. Maybe you though only the pros could do this but you’ll be making fish like this quite often.
Fish Fresh From The Source
Finding fresh fish to cook at home is not that easy living smack dab in the middle of the United States. So, we searched out the best place to purchase fresh fish and found that if you want a good high quality fish you should go straight to the source. Please note: this is not a sponsored post and is based on our personal experience of buying fresh fish from our new favorite source.
Where to Buy Restaurant Quality Fresh Fish
Jump to RecipeWhen buying fish we looked for the freshest and most pristine seafood supplier. We also wanted wild caught sustainable fish. I didn’t realize this but with this supplier “wild caught” actually means fish that was caught by a real fisherman using a rod and reel with a real hook. None of that net fishing or farmed fish.
We located a gourmet market in Southampton, New York that has a reputation for seafood freshness and quality. Matter of fact they serve some of NYC’s top restaurants. This gourmet market is Citarella Southampton and they have nationwide shipping. The awesome part is if you place your order on a Tuesday you’ll get your fresh fish on Wednesday. Not frozen but fresh fish wrapped in wax paper, sealed in plastic netting and carefully packaged with ice packs in an insulated leakproof box. How cool is that!
So when you ask your husband what he’d like for that special dinner tomorrow and he says, “I sure wish we could have some of that pompano fish we had when we were on vacation in Florida”. You can say, “I can make that happen honey, your wish is granted”! LOL
Available Seafood at Citarella
Any type of seafood that comes from the Atlantic, Pacific or Mediterranean oceans can be delivered directly to your door. Citarella delivers excellent quality and customer service. So if you are a seafood lover and looking for the real deal then check out their web site. Below are the categories of fish they have available. We are very impressed with this supplier.
- Whole fish (all types)
- Fillets and Steaks
- Oysters (7 types) and Clams (cherrystone, littlenecks and steamers)
- Lobster (large, small and langoustines) and Shrimp (all varieties)
- Crabs (King, Stone, Hard shell or Soft shell)
- Mussels and Scallops (shelled or in the shell)
- Uni and Caviar variety
- And much more!
Baked Whole Pompano; Salt Crusted Fish Recipe
Although this recipe shares how to bake a whole pompano fish weighing in at about 1 pound in a salt crust any type of whole fish can be prepare this same exact way.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole Pompano fish about 1 pound with skin on (any whole fish with skin on will do)
- 5 1/2 cups kosher salt
- 4 egg whites
- 3/4 to 1 cup water
- 2 lemons
- 1 bunch of thyme (20 sprigs)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare Salt Mixture
Cover a baking pan with parchment paper larger than the length of the fish. In a large bowl combine salt, egg whites and 3/4 cups water. Combine until mixture is shapeable. If the mixture is still too dry add small amounts of water until mixture makes shape. Lay a layer of the prepared salt on top of the parchment paper the length of the fish. Rinse fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place fish on top of the bed of salt.
Season Fish
Place 1-2 slices of lemon and 15 sprigs of thyme into the cavity of the fish. Then place lemon slices and the remainder thyme on top of fish.
Encapsulate Fish
Place the remaining prepared salt on top of the fish. Completely cover the fish and lightly pack down to form a closed seal.
Bake
Place salt crusted fish in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the fish internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit when checked with an instant read thermometer. Just stick the thermometer through the salt deep into the thickest part of the fish. For a true reading be careful not to go through to the bottom as the thermometer reading may pick up the temperature of the pan. Remove fish from oven and allow to rest for about 15 minutes while the crust is still in place.
Remove Top Salt Crust
During the baking process the salt crust will harden. Jab a fork into the top layer of salt to break the seal. Gently pull the salt crust away from the fish discarding lemon and herbs and brush away loose salt off the skin of the fish.
Debone Fish
Gently lift fish from salt bed and move to a cutting board. Using a sharp filet knife carefully cut the fish skin from the head to the tail both on top and bottom of the fish and a cut behind the head down to the bone. Using two forks gently lift the top fish filet away from the skeletal structure and place on a warmed plate. Then remove the skeletal structure from the bottom filet by grabbing and lifting the tail and gently separate the meat using a fork from the bony structure.
This is the pompano skeletal structure after deboning. If desired place the entire structure in about 2 cups of water and bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes to make a fish broth for later use in other recipes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Is The Fish Salty?
I’m sure there is question and concern that the fish may end up too salty. That was my concern as well but to be honest the fish was not salty at all. I believe the egg whites bind up with the salt not allowing the salt to penetrate the meat. Plus the skin of the fish helps protect the meat too.
I AM EXCITED YOU ARE VIEWING JETT’S RECIPE FOR BAKED SALT CRUSTED FISH AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW YOURS TURNS OUT.
***Please come back and share your comments and tell my readers how you like this recipe.***
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Baked Salt Crusted Fish; Whole Pompano
Enjoy the elegance of fine dining and uniquely prepare fish like the pro's using this baked salt crusted fish recipe technique.
Ingredients
- 1 whole Pompano fish about 1 pound with skin on (any whole fish with skin on will do)
- 5 1/2 cups kosher salt
- 4 egg whites
- 3/4 to 1 cup water
- 1 bunch fresh thyme (20 sprigs)
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare Salt Mixture
Cover a baking pan with parchment paper larger than the length of the fish.
In a large bowl combine salt, egg whites and 3/4 cups water. Combine until mixture is shapeable. If the mixture is still too dry add small amounts of water until mixture makes shape. Lay a layer of the prepared salt on top of the parchment paper the length of the fish. Rinse fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place fish on top of the bed of salt.
-
Season Fish
Place 1-2 slices of lemon and 15 sprigs of thyme into the cavity of the fish. Then place lemon slices and the remainder thyme on top of fish.
-
Encapsulate Fish
Place the remaining prepared salt on top of the fish. Completely cover the fish and lightly pack down to form a closed seal.
-
Bake
Place salt crusted fish in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the fish internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit when checked with an instant read thermometer. Just stick the thermometer through the salt deep into the thickest part of the fish. For a true reading be careful not to go through to the bottom as the thermometer reading may pick up the temperature of the pan. Remove fish from oven and allow to rest for about 15 minutes while the crust is still in place.
-
Remove Top Salt Crust
During the baking process the salt crust will harden. Jab a fork into the top layer of salt to break the seal. Gently pull the salt crust away from the fish discarding lemon and herbs and brush away loose salt off the skin of the fish.
-
Debone Fish
Gently lift fish from salt bed and move to a cutting board. Using a sharp filet knife carefully cut the fish skin from the head to the tail both on top and bottom of the fish. Using two forks gently lift the top fish filet away from the skeletal structure and place on a warmed plate. Then remove the skeletal structure from the bottom filet by grabbing and lifting the tail and gently separate the meat using a fork from the bony structure. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Optional: If desired place the entire deboned structure in about 2 cups of water and bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes to make a fish broth for later use in other recipes.
