Seabass
The sea bass is a quality sea fish. Together with the sea bream is one of the most appreciated for the quality of its meat: lean, firm and with few bones, tasty and delicate at the same time, with a good shelf life (it can resist in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours) and it is extremely versatile ( there are many Italian recipes with seabass). Present in the Italian seas and very common in the Venetian lagoon, the sea bass is caught all year round, especially in coastal areas. It is leaden gray and silver in colour on both sides. If it is bred and not wild, it is much less tasty but much cheaper.
Branzino in Crosta – Seabass in Rock salt crust
Ingredients for 4 people:
1 seabass (or seabrim) Â of about 1 kg with its scales still on,Â
2Â kg of sea salt (rock salt/kosher)
herbs (thyme, rosemary, marjoram, sage etc.)
lemon
1 egg white, beaten
Wash the seabass but do not remove its scales. Slit its belly and remove the insides (or ask the fihsmonger to do it for you). Place all the herbs inside the fish together with the slices of lemon, secure with a toothpick. Place some baking paper on a baking tray. Lay 1/3 of the  salt at the bottom of a baking tray, place the fish on top of the salt.  Mix the remaining salt with the egg white. Cover the fish completely with the remaining salt, leaving the tail and the fin out. Cook in the oven at about 200 degree until the top fin comes away easily.
Once cooked, remove the salt crust, take the skin off the fish, filet the fish and serve the fillets.
Welove to prepare this fish recipe in Venice during our cooking lessons – our students love it!
