Description
A whole sea bass baked in a protective salt crust and served with a silky soy sauce hollandaise, delivering tender flaky fish with rich buttery flavor and a subtle savory finish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 whole sea bass about 2 to 2.5 pounds, cleaned and scaled
- 4 cups coarse sea salt
- 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 thin lemon slices
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon warm water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix coarse sea salt with lightly beaten egg whites until the texture resembles wet sand.
- Spread a thin layer of the salt mixture on the baking sheet to form a base.
- Place thyme and lemon slices inside the fish cavity, set fish on the salt base, and fully cover with remaining salt mixture, pressing firmly to seal.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 135 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice over gently simmering water, slowly drizzle in melted butter while whisking until thick. Stir in soy sauce and warm water if needed.
- Rest fish for 5 minutes, crack open the salt crust, remove excess salt, drizzle with soy sauce hollandaise, and serve.
Notes
- Use coarse sea salt, not fine salt, for best crust texture.
- Do not oversalt the fish cavity since the crust seasons naturally.
- Hollandaise is best served immediately for smooth texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 220mg