1. Baking fish in a salt crust keeps flesh juicy and tender because little moisture is lost through insulating layer of salt. It’s best done using round rather than flat fish.
2. Put salt into a large mixing bowl and add egg white a little at a time, stirring well, to form a paste consistency of wet sand.
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3. Put a generous layer of salt mix, same size as fish, across bottom of large roasting tin. Put fish on top.
4. Stuff the fish for an extra layer of flavour. Slices of lemon or fennel and herbs such as dill or tarragon pair well with fish.
5. Cover fish with more of salt mix, patting down on fish to make sure mixture sticks, is fully covered around sides and no gaps remain.
6. Cook at 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 20-25min, until crust has browned slightly and fish is cooked. Check by inserting a thermometer into thickest part of flesh and make sure that fish has reached 62°C. Or insert a knife in, keep it in for 10sec and check it comes out steaming hot to touch.
7. Carefully cut away middle section of salt using a sharp knife. Ease salt crust gently away with a palette knife to release it and it should lift cleanly away from fish. Gently slice skin at head end and peel it away from flesh. Serve immediately.
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My Kitchen Cook & Bake standard roasting pan, Lakeland. Classic glass bowl (2 litres), Classic glass measure jug (1 litre), Pyrex. Pro paring knife, Zwilling J.A. Henckels. White chopping board, wooden spoon, thermometre, palette knife, chef's own.
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