Salt-Crusted Branzino Recipe: Chef Nunzio’s Mediterranean Sea Bass
Recipe of the month
Story By Bailey Gilliam + Photography By Belle Whitfield
Few cooking techniques showcase the magic of salt quite like this one. In Chef Nunzio Patruno’s salt-encrusted branzino, a mixture of salt and whipped egg whites forms a crisp shell around the fish, locking in moisture while gently seasoning it as it roasts. Inside the crust, fresh thyme, garlic and lemon infuse the delicate branzino with bright, aromatic flavor, creating fish that’s tender, flaky and beautifully balanced. The real drama comes at the table. Once baked, the hardened salt shell is cracked open to release a burst of fragrant steam, turning dinner into a full sensory experience. Elegant yet surprisingly simple, it’s the kind of dish that reminds you how transformative a few humble ingredients can be. Chef Nunzio recommends pairing it with a crisp white wine like falanghina for the perfect finishing touch.
Salt-encrusted branzino
Ingredients
- 1 1/2- pound whole branzino gutted and scaled
- Fresh thyme
- 1 whole garlic clove
- 1 slice lemon
- 3 egg whites
- 3/4 pound table salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and pat the branzino dry, then place it on a metal baking tray. Stuff the cavity with fresh thyme, the garlic clove and a slice of lemon.
- In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and salt together until a thick paste forms. Completely cover the fish with the salt mixture, sealing it on all sides.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the salt crust hardens and lightly browns.
- Remove the tray from the oven, and bring it directly to the table for presentation. Carefully crack open the salt crust, and lift away the shell. Transfer the fish to a serving platter, debone tableside, and finish with extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice before serving.
