Onaga Baked in Salt Crust with Herbs and Ogo Sauce
The crusted fish makes an impressive presentation. Be careful not to let the rock salt touch the fish when cooking or serving, as it will make the dish salty. The crust will keep the juices in as the fish cooks, making it very moist and tender. Best of all, this light preparation uses no cream, no butter, and no egg yolks.
Ingredients
- Salt Crust Dough
- All Purpose Flour - 6 cups
- Rock Salt - 2 cups (1 pound)
- Egg Whites - 3
- Water - 1 cup
- Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons
- Garlic Cloves - 3, minced
- Spinach - 1 pound, fresh, washed and stemmed
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Ti Leaves - 2 large (alt. 1 banana leaf)
- Onaga (red snapper) - One, 2-pound, filleted, skin-on
- Egg White - 1
- Herb and Ogo Sauce
- Olive Oil - 6 tablespoons
- Shallots - 2, minced
- Garlic Cloves - 3, minced
- Dry white wine - 1/2 cup
- Tomato - 1, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- Tarragon Sprigs - 1, fresh
- Chervil Sprig - 1, fresh
- Green Onion - 2 tablespoons, minced, green part only
- Ogo (seaweed) - 1/2 cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the dough: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the rock salt, egg whites, and 1/2 cup of the water. Mix until it forms a stiff dough. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of water. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle large enough to wrap the fish. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet.
To prepare the fish: Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and saute the garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and saute until wilted. Add salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cool.
Lay the ti leaves on the dough to protect the fish from the salt. The skin will protect the top of the fish. Arrange the spinach on the ti leaves, then place the fillets, skin-side up and side-by-side, on the spinach. Wrap the onaga in the rock salt dough and shape the dough like a fish. Create fins with extra pieces of dough, and use a spoon to press “eye” and “scale” marks on the dough. Brush the dough with egg white. Bake for 25 minutes, or until pastry is crisp and golden.
To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, hat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the shallots until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and white wine. Cook to reduce by half. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and the remaining olive oil.
To serve: With a wide spatula and your hands, slide the baked fish onto a platter. At the table, cut the crust lengthwise, removing only the top half of the fish. Remove the skin from the fish. Place a portion of fish on each plate with spinach on top of it. Pour some of the sauce around the fish on each plate.
