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Dorada a la sal
Salt-baked sea bream
Dorada a la sal: whole sea bream baked in a salt crust from the Murcian salt pans
Around the salt flats of San Pedro del Pinatar, at the northern tip of the Mar Menor, baking fish under a crust of coarse salt is the obvious way to cook a fresh bream, and lagoon-side restaurants crack the crust open at the table for long summer lunches. The salt hardens into a shell that steams the fish in its own juices, so the flesh is moist and lightly seasoned rather than salty. Serve it with a drizzle of good olive oil, boiled potatoes or allioli. Chef's tip: leave the scales on; they stop the salt from reaching the flesh and make the skin peel away cleanly.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 whole sea breamabout 500 g each, gutted through a small cut, scales left on
- 1 lemonsliced
- 4 ⅜ lb coarse sea salt
- 4 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oilto serve
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Rinse and pat dry the 2 whole sea bream and slip a few slices of 1 lemon and a 2 bay leaves leaf into each belly.
5 minStep 2: Mix the 4 ⅜ lb coarse sea salt with the 2 egg whites and 4 tbsp water until it feels like damp sand.
3 minStep 3: Spread a 1 cm layer of salt in a roasting tin, lay the fish on it and pack the rest over and around them, pressing so no skin shows. A common mistake is leaving gaps or a large belly opening: salt gets inside and the fish ends up too salty.
5 minStep 4: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the crust is hard and lightly golden at the edges.
30 minStep 5: Crack the crust with the back of a heavy spoon and lift it off in pieces, brushing away loose salt. Peel back the skin: the flesh should be opaque and white and flake easily from the bone. If it is still glassy at the backbone, cover it again and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 6: Lift the fillets from the bones and serve with the 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil drizzled over.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dorada a la sal take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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