Whole Baked Recipe

Prepare fish

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Rinse each branzino under cold water and pat dry thoroughly inside and out with paper towels. Remove any remaining scales. Season the cavity of each fish with a pinch of the crushed peppercorns.

Stuff cavities

Place 3 sprigs of thyme, 2 lemon slices and 2 bay leaves inside the cavity of each branzino. This will aromatize the fish as it cooks beneath the salt crust.

Make salt paste

In a large bowl, combine the coarse salt and egg whites. Using a fork or your hands, mix until the mixture takes on the texture of wet sand and holds together when pressed. The egg whites help bind the salt into a crust that will harden in the oven.

Assemble on tray

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a thin layer of olive oil to prevent sticking. Spread a 1–1.5 cm (about 1/2 inch) thick bed of the salt mixture roughly the size of each fish (or for both, make a larger bed) on the baking sheet. Place the stuffed branzino on the salt bed, then cover the fish entirely with the remaining salt mixture, pressing to seal and smoothing the surface. If needed leave a small uncovered vent over the head to avoid pressure build-up but ensure most of the fish is encased.

Bake

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake 25–30 minutes for 2 medium branzino (about 400–500 g / 14–18 oz each). Bake time: roughly 12–15 minutes per 500 g — adjust if your fish are much smaller or larger. The salt crust should harden and turn slightly golden in places.

Rest and crack crust

Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Use the back of a spoon or the handle of a knife to tap and crack the hardened salt crust. Carefully remove large pieces of the crust and brush away excess salt from the fish surface. Avoid letting salt fall into the cavity where the flesh will be exposed.

Open and remove aromatics

Gently peel back skin where necessary and lift the fillets off the backbone using a spatula. Remove the thyme, lemon slices and bay leaves from the cavity. Discard the salt crust pieces.

Prepare carrots

While the oven is heating, use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to shave the peeled carrots into long thin ribbons. Place the ribbons in a bowl.

Make dressing

In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, chives, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper until emulsified.

Dress carrots

Toss the carrot ribbons with the dressing and let sit 10–15 minutes to soften and marry flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper or lemon if desired.

Plate the fish by placing each whole or halved branzino on a platter. Drizzle 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil over each fish and serve with the dressed Swiss carrot ribbons arranged alongside or atop the fish for color and texture.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing. To serve, lift the top fillet away from the backbone and offer guests fillets from both sides; discard the backbone and any pin bones. The salt crust seasons the flesh subtly — no additional salt should be necessary.