Salt-Baked Whole Fish Recipe

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F - 205 C with rack in middle position

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat liner

3. Stuff your fish with the aromatics of your choosing

4. Oil the outside of your fish with lemon olive oil, olive oil or rice bran oil - the skin is normally to salty to eat when cooked.

5. Put the salt in a large mixing bowl.

6. Add 1/2 the water and mix. Add additional water in small amounts. You want the salt to be wet enough to hold together but not soaked.

7. Spread about 1/3 of the salt mix on to the prepared pan - spreading it out to an area just larger than the fish. - if you want draw a line around the fish on the parchment paper first

8. Place the fish on the bed of salt

9. Cover the fish completely all of the remaining salt

10. Poke your instant read thermometer through the salt into the thickest part of the fish. You need to make this hole now to use later. The salt will get hard once it gets hot and you don't want to break the shell.

11. Roast fish until the internal temperature is 130F - 54C between 20 and 30 minutes

12. Let the fish rest for 5 minutes

13. Cut through the salt at the belly of the fish and lift off - or break the salt and remove at the table which is more fun.

15. Fillet the fish and eat

 You can save the salt to use later, though it will have a fishy way about it. Or save it for warding off evil spirits or icy sidewalks.