From “Five Ingredient Fix,” by Claire Robinson (Grand Central). The author writes, “Baking fish in salt produces incredibly tender, moist meat. Be sure to pack the salt on just before you are ready to bake it, because if it sits too long, the curing process will begin. The fennel seeds in the salt crust impart a lovely anise aroma to the fish. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 whole striped bass (about 3 pounds), cleaned and scaled
4 cups kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 lemons, thinly sliced and seeds removed plus more for garnish
1/2 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced, fronds removed for garnish
2 scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
3 to 4 tablespoons water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Rinse the fish and pat dry inside and out with a paper towel. Season the cavity with a pinch of salt and pepper and stuff the lemon slices, fennel and scallions into the fish. Press the cavity closed.
In a bowl, mix the salt and fennel seeds together with 3 to 4 tablespoons water to moisten. Pour a third of the salt mixture onto the lined baking sheet and spread to roughly the size of the fish. Lay the stuffed fish on the salt mix and pour the remaining salt mix over the top. Use your hands to evenly spread it to completely enclose the fish and press lightly.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove and let stand 10 minutes before carefully cracking the outer salt crust, exposing the whole fish. Carefully remove the skin and lift the fillet off the bones, transferring it to a serving platter. Pull the skeleton from the fish by lifting the tail and discard. Remove the remaining fillet meat to the platter. Garnish fish with lemon wedges and fennel fronds. Serve immediately.
