SpanishCastleAle
Well-Known Member
Recently tried some snapper cooked this way at American Fish in Aria and thought it was really good so I had to try it at home. Did it with steelhead 2 nights ago and salmon (almost the same thing) last night and both were really good.
I put a thin layer of kosher salt in a cast-iron skillet and then placed a couple pieces of used kombu (seaweed, previously used to make dashi broth) on top of the salt. You can get creative for the 'barrier' I think American Fish uses orange peel or something. Smeared the fleshy side with room temp butter and stuck some whole sprigs of Thyme on it, then fleshy side down on the kombu. Then covered it with a medium-thin layer of kosher salt. Baked in a 475* F oven for ~10 minutes. The top layer of salt hardens and comes off mostly in one flat piece. I didn't add any sauce or seasoning after that and it didn't need it imo. You do have to ensure that not too much salt contacts the fleshy parts or it will be too salty. I'd like to try it with a whole fish, no kombu needed.
If you're looking for a different way to cook fish/seafood (American Fish also has a salt-baked shrimp dish) this is a nice change of pace. It cooks a little faster than you might expect considering the mass of all the salt.
I put a thin layer of kosher salt in a cast-iron skillet and then placed a couple pieces of used kombu (seaweed, previously used to make dashi broth) on top of the salt. You can get creative for the 'barrier' I think American Fish uses orange peel or something. Smeared the fleshy side with room temp butter and stuck some whole sprigs of Thyme on it, then fleshy side down on the kombu. Then covered it with a medium-thin layer of kosher salt. Baked in a 475* F oven for ~10 minutes. The top layer of salt hardens and comes off mostly in one flat piece. I didn't add any sauce or seasoning after that and it didn't need it imo. You do have to ensure that not too much salt contacts the fleshy parts or it will be too salty. I'd like to try it with a whole fish, no kombu needed.
If you're looking for a different way to cook fish/seafood (American Fish also has a salt-baked shrimp dish) this is a nice change of pace. It cooks a little faster than you might expect considering the mass of all the salt.
