Baked red snapper how to#

We neglected to have the fins trimmed, a point I forgot when preparing my fish.Īs for the fish itself, snapper is a delicious choice for this method. When you buy your fish, have your fishmonger de-scale it for you, gut it (if not yet gutted), and trim the fins and gills from the sides and top. You can see the probe sticking out of the salt Notes on the fish The fish itself is cooked to 130☏ (54☌), a temperature at which the proteins are firm and flaky but not yet dried out.Īnd how will we know the temperature? By using a leave-in probe thermometer like the ChefAlarm, of course! Insert the probe from the ChefAlarm into the fish so that the sensor tip is right down next to the ribcage and then pack the salt on top of the fish, with the probe sticking out through it. The oven is set to 450☏ (232☌)-a temperature that can generate steam from the wet salt to cook the fish.

Salt-curst cooking is usually done at high heat, and the same holds true here.

Baked red snapper how to#

How to cook red snapper in a salt crust: the temperatures The fish flesh becomes imbued with the lemon and the parsley 4 and is left pleasantly salty. In fact, I almost reached for a pinch of salt when I finally got to eat it. You may be thinking that packing a fish in three pounds of salt might make the fish too salty. The yellow color in the salt is from the egg whites cooking Isn’t it too salty? The egg whites help it to bind and also help it to keep its shape in the oven: without their proteins cooking and binding together, the salt would dry and fall apart. This version also calls for the addition of egg whites, which is also in line with ancient methods. Its texture makes it better for packing and forming into the bed and dome of salt. Granular table salt won’t cut it, but kosher salt-often labeled as “coarse kosher”- is what you want. And, in fact, one of the earliest records we have of this method-a fragment by Archestratus in the 4th century BC-is about cooking fish just like this. That even cooking lends itself particularly well to fish cookery. The salt diffuses the high heat and the water in the salt turns to steam, which all results in the food being cooked gently and quite evenly. Salt-crust cooking is an ancient method that has been independently developed in cuisines around the world wherein salt is moistened and packed completely around and on the food to be cooked before it is placed in a hot oven. Really the only trick to it is making sure the fish is cooked properly, and the ChefAlarm ® and Thermapen ® can make that almost certain. Salt-crusted snapper is a dish that is sure to make you look like a pro, but is actually extremely easy to make. If you prefer them to be softer, soften them in a little butter before placing them in the baking pan at the beginning of the baking process.If you’re cooking at home for Valentine’s Day 3 and want something that is fun, impressive, tasty, and intriguing, not to mention easy, I’d like to suggest you try salt-crust roasted snapper. Place each fillet in the center of your serving plate and scatter the cooked peppers and onions on top.I usually start checking it after two minutes. Watch it carefully to make sure nothing starts to burn. Broil the fish for about three minutes until the top is a beautiful golden-brown color.I like to use an oven mitt to hold my baking pan at an angle to spoon the liquid more easily. Make sure to spoon the buttery liquid from the bottom of your baking dish and thoroughly moisten the topping. Sprinkle the fillets with the topping.Turn on the broiler five minutes before the fish is done.Make the topping by mixing the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and parsley in a small bowl.They will flake easily with a fork when they've finished cooking. Bake the fillets on the middle rack of the oven for about 20 minutes.Add the remaining butter to the bottom of the baking dish. Slice the butter into slivers and completely cover the fish.Lay them on top of the peppers and onions. Season the fillets generously with salt and pepper.Sprinkle the chopped red bell pepper and onion on the bottom of the baking pan.If I'm making two servings, I use my 9'x9' Pyrex dish. I usually use a 9'x13' Pyrex dish if I'm making four servings. Coat the bottom of your baking dish with cooking spray.