Salt-baked coral trout

Cooking fish in a salt crust locks in the aromatics and moisture, ensuring the fish cooks evenly and the end result is tender and perfectly seasoned.

Salt-baked coral trout Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

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Ingredients

• 4 large sheets kombu
• 1 whole coral trout (about 800 g - 1 kg) whole coral trout, cleaned
• ½ lemon, thinly sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp fennel fronds
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives

Leek ash

• 4 leeks, green tops only

Salt crust

• 2 kg table salt
• 4 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 100 g leek ash
• 1 tbsp toasted fennel seeds, ground
• 2 lemons, zested

Beurre blanc sauce

• 4 lemons, halved4 limes, halved
• olive oil, for drizzling
• 2 French shallots, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 10 whole white peppercorns
• 150 ml chardonnay
• 150 ml pure cream
• 500 g cold butter, chopped
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. For the leek ash, preheat a barbecue or chargrill pan to high. Grill the green leek tops, turning regularly until they are completely charred. Place the charred tops in a food processor and blitz into a powder resembling ash.
2. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Line a large, flat heavy – based baking tray with baking paper. Place the dried kombu sheets in a deep baking dish and pour boiling water over them to soften them and make them malleable. Stand for 10 minutes.
3. For the salt crust, place all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir on low speed to combine well, then add 150 ml water and beat until it forms a paste like wet sand.
4. Spread half the salt mixture on the base of the lined baking tray to form a bed the same size and shape as the fish and about 1 cm thick. Drain the kombu and place 2 sheets over the salt crust.
5. Fill the cavity of the fish with lemon slices, bay leaves and fennel fronds. Carefully place the coral trout onto the kombu and cover with another 2 sheets kombu to completely wrap the whole fish.
6. Cover the fish with remaining salt crust ensuring it is completely sealed. Bake for 20–25 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, for the beurre blanc, heat a chargrill pan over high heat and cook 3 each of the lemons and limes until deeply caramelised, then set aside to steam through.
8. Heat a drizzle of oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Gently cook the shallot, bay leaf and garlic and cook until the shallot is translucent but without colour. Add the white peppercorns and wine and simmer until reduced by half. Strain the reduction, discard the solids and return the liquid to the pan. Add the cream and simmer until reduced by half again. Whisking continuously, gradually add the cold butter and whisk until emulsified. Season with salt, the juice from your burnt limes and lemons and add some zest from the remaining lime and lemon.
9. Remove the fish from the oven. Using a large knife, make an incision down the side of the fish to cut through the salt crust. Carefully peel back the salt crust and admire the amazing smell you get from the fish. Unwrap from the kombu, then place whole fish on a large plate.
10. Gently warm up your beurre blanc sauce, but don't heat too aggressively as this will split the sauce. Stir in the chopped chives and spoon over coral trout to serve.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Elements

Watch The Full Episode Here

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Watch The Full Episode Here

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