Whole Fish Roasted in Sea Salt with Warm Lemon Butter Sauce

Cooking With Rania - "Recipes for Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes"
KDKA Pittsburgh Today Live 11/28/2012

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Whole Fish Roasted in Sea Salt with Warm Lemon Butter Sauce

(revised 11/29/12)

INGREDIENTS

6 or 7 large egg whites
1 box (3 pounds) sea or kosher salt
2 striped sea bass or other white-fleshed fish, 1-1/2 pounds each, gutted and scaled
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh oregano, plus 2 tablespoons chopped oregano
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 thin slices lemon

Sauce:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic, from about 3 large cloves
Zest and juice of one large lemon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 475 degrees.

Line a baking sheet large enough to hold the 2 fish in a single layer with foil.

Put 6 of the egg whites and the salt in a large bowl and stir together well until a grainy consistency, almost like moist sand, is attained. If the mixture seems too dry, stir in the final egg white.

Press a ¼-inch-thick layer of the salt mixture onto the baking sheet.

Stuff the cavity of each fish with the bay leaves, oregano sprigs, parsley sprigs, thyme, garlic, and lemon slices.

Lay the fish on top of salt and pack the remaining salt over the fish to enclose it completely. Set the fish in the oven and lower the temperature to 400 degrees. Roast until their internal temperature reaches 135 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.

While the fish is roasting, make the butter sauce. Heat the olive oil in a small, heavy sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped oregano, and chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the butter.

When the fish is done, remove from the oven. With the fish still in the baking pan, crack open the sea-salt case, push it to the side, then fillet. Place the fillets onto a plate. Spoon some sauce over the fish on each plate and serve.

Serves 2 to 4