Salt Baked Fish

Baking a whole fish in a crust of kosher salt seals in the juices and guarantees exquisitely moist—and surprisingly unsalty—fish.

4 cups kosher salt

1 whole red snapper, striped bass, or porgy (11⁄2 to 2 pounds), cleaned and scaled

1 lemon

3 rosemary or thyme sprigs

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 13" by 9" baking pan with foil; spread 2 cups salt in bottom of pan.
• Rinse snapper inside and out with cold running water; pat dry with paper towels. From lemon, cut 3 slices. Cut remaining lemon into wedges. Place lemon slices and rosemary in cavity of fish. Place fish on bed of salt; cover with remaining 2 cups salt. Bake until fish is just opaque throughout when knife is inserted at backbone, about 30 minutes.
• To serve, tap salt crust to release from top of fish; discard. Slide cake server under front section of top fillet and lift off fillet; transfer to platter. Slide server under backbone and lift it away from bottom fillet; discard.
• Slide cake server between bottom fillet and skin and transfer fillet to platter. Serve with reserved lemon wedges.

Makes 2 main-dish servings.

Prep: 5 minutes

Bake: 30 minutes