It is known that sea fish (sea bream, red mullet, sea bass, etc.) are incredibly tasty in and of themselves. Experts say that it turns out the better, the less experimenting on it and complicate the recipe and methods of its preparation.
Could something be tastier and easier than sea bass baked in salt? According to experts, it is in this dish that the real taste of the wonderful fish, famous among gourmets, is preserved. Many young housewives hesitate to start cooking it, fearing that they will not be able to properly form a salt carapace, and then carefully chop it and cut the carcass. But it turns out that all these fears are completely in vain. According to experienced chefs, the treat is prepared very easily and simply. How to cook sea bass in salt? About this in our article.
What kind of fish is sea bass?
Sea bass (second name - seabass) - an elite fish belonging to the class of maximum. Its habitat is very wide. Sea bass is found in the water of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, in the natural environment of Norway, Senegal, Morocco and some other countries. In Italy, Spain and France, this fish is successfully bred in artificial ponds.
Useful properties and composition
Seabass is rightfully considered one of the most delicious fish in the world, surprisingly useful for the human body. The body of this fish contains a minimum of bones, it is characterized by a strikingly low calorie content. The taste of sea bass is surprisingly gentle, soft and pleasant. Thanks to all these qualities, fish are successfully used in dietary nutrition, as well as in the diet of people who prefer a healthy lifestyle.
Among the most important components contained in sea bass meat, the presence of omega-3 fatty acids, famous for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, should be highlighted. This fish is useful to everyone without exception, but it is especially important to use it for Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, various age-related pathologies and cardiovascular diseases. Due to its low calorie content and fast digestibility, this dietary product is considered very useful for those who monitor their weight.
About the variety of recipes
Today there are a lot of recipes for making treats from this fish. Sea bass is fried, stewed, stewed in oil, allowed in a small amount of water or steamed - in any form, this fish turns out great.
The excellent tastes of the fish, as well as the abundance of useful properties in it, have earned the product huge popularity in all corners of the planet. Sea bass in salt is especially successful.
How to cook a treat? Culinary Tips
Fish is baked in a large amount of salt. The finished dish is served at the table in a special salt carapace. Experts recommend in no case to overdry the sea bass in salt. To make the dish tasty and juicy, before baking, the fish must be greased with oil (olive) and drizzled with fresh lemon juice, and then add a little salt and pepper. Stuffing the juiciness of the product will help stuffing the carcass with aromatic herbs and herbs (fresh). In order to prevent juice from flowing out of it during fish preparation, it is recommended to pre-wrap the carcass in foil (the connecting seam should be at the top).
Sea bass in the oven
Ingredients:
- One kilogram of sea fish.
- One and a half kilograms of coarse salt (best of all - sea).
- Two egg whites.
- A little thyme, basil, lemon (optional).
Cooking features
In accordance with this recipe, sea bass in salt is prepared as follows:
- The whites are whipped lightly with a whisk and mixed with salt.
- About one third of the resulting mixture is spread on a baking sheet in an even layer. A fish is laid on top of the salt, in the abdomen of which you can previously put a little thyme and basil (several branches) and a circle of lemon.
- The rest of the salt is spread on the surface of the carcass and held together with hands. The result should be a salt shell, in the middle of which, as if in a furnace, the product will be baked.
- Then the sea bass is sent to the oven, preheated to 230 ° C. The fish is baked for about 25 minutes. Small carcasses (weighing up to 800 g) should be baked for 20 minutes, and for large (from 1 kg), the baking time should be increased: add 5 minutes for every 0.5 kg of weight.
- Then the fish is removed from the oven. In restaurants, the darkened salt carapace already with visitors is usually poured with alcohol and set on fire. It burns very beautifully, but few of the hostesses dare to repeat this magnificent show at home.
- Fish removed from the oven is left in the caked salt carapace for about five minutes.
- The most difficult moment is cutting the fish. This must be done carefully so that the carcass does not swim completely in salt. The salt shell is carefully smashed (you can use a wooden spoon for this from the outside), trying not to damage the fish. Carefully, using a fork and a spoon, remove a layer of salt from the surface of the carcass (together with the skin). Separate the meat from the bones in the upper part of the fish (this is not difficult at all) and put it in a plate on which they will serve. Then the same thing is done with the lower layer of meat.
As a side dish, housewives recommend using some completely simple product that does not drown out the taste of fish, for example, boiled rice. When serving delicacy, you can use basil sauce. It is not difficult to prepare: in a small container, 5-6 leaves of chopped basil, three cloves of (medium-sized) crushed garlic and 5-7 tablespoons of olive oil are mixed. The finished dish is poured with sauce and served to the table.
Another recipe
To prepare two servings of treats use:
- sea bass carcass (whole, unpeeled) weighing 400 g;
- 130 ml of water;
- salt (about 1 kg).
To prepare the sauce you will need:
- 200 grams of Beef tomatoes;
- 30 ml of olive oil;
- 5 grams of oregano (dry);
- 40 grams of olives;
- 2 grams of basil (fresh);
- pepper to taste.
Technology Description
The process of preparing sea bass in salt will take about 30-60 minutes. Act as follows:
- First make the sauce. Tomatoes are blanched and peeled, then cut into small cubes (approximately 0.5 cm). The remaining ingredients are added in stages and mixed thoroughly.
- Then the salt is mixed with water so that a homogeneous sticky mass is obtained, which should not spread. One part of the mass is placed on a baking sheet. Fish is spread on this improvised pillow, covered with the second part of the salt mixture from above and sealed.
- Seabass in carapace is put in a furnace heated to a temperature of 200 ° C, baked until cooked for 25 minutes.
- Then the fish is taken out of the oven, the salt crust is cracked by tapping a special spatula on its surface for this. After breaking the salt, remove the top layer. The fish is cleaned of skin and cut on a fillet.
The treat is spread on a serving dish and watered with a sauce of olives and tomatoes. Enjoy your meal!