New Orleans Food Questions And Comments

Salt-Crusted Fish

Many people have asked:

How exactly do you bake that whole fish in a salt dome?

Tom sez:

That's an old idea that's been used for many foods over the years--notably prime rib. But Jamie Shannon, the long-time executive chef at Commander's Palace who died tragically at age forty, was the first person who ever did this for me with a fish. I'll never forget that night: it was at the chef's table in the kitchen with Dick Brennan, Sr. and fellow food writer Marcelle Bienvenue. Jamie brought out a large, shallow pan with what looked like a pile of salt in its center. With a pounder, he struck the pile, which cracked like a solid shell. He brushed the salt away from a red snapper, then removed the skin from the fish. The fillets were stunningly delicious, served with no sauce. It was pure, elemental fresh fish flavor. And it wasn't salty.

The process is surprisingly simple. The hard part is getting a vividly fresh whole fish: redfish, red snapper, a small grouper, anything about four to eight pounds. Gut it and remove the gills and fins. Use a sheet pan much larger than the fish. Pour a layer of kosher salt about the thickness of three stacked coins in the center. Place the fish on top of the salt. Then cover the fish with enough kosher salt (Commander's Palace's cookbook says eight pounds is needed) to completely cover it. Scoop it up with your hands to make it in the shape of a dome. Put the pan into the center of a 450-degree preheated oven, and bake it for ten minutes per pound. (They say; a more accurate way to check doneness is to shove a meat thermometer into the center of the fish when you think it might be getting close. You want a reading of about 130 degrees.)

The ticklish part is getting the salt off. The steam coming from the fish will make it form a hard shell, which you'll have to break without beating the fish up. Craefully brush all the salt away after you remove the shell, and even more carefully peel the skin away, starting at the top forward fin and moving towards the bottom of the fish and the tail. Then you'll be able to remove reasonably intact fillets. Be ready to eat when these are coming off; the fish is at its best immediately after coming off the bones. You could add a light sauce, but it's really not necessary. It's great with an herbal rice side dish.

Revised 3/10/08


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