Salt as a cooking vessel

[TAPrice]

So I've tried the trick of cooking fish in a salt dome. I spread a layer of kosher salt, put down my fish, added another layer on top, and baked the whole thing. The results were pretty good. The only problem was that I bought a fish that was too flaky and some salt clung to the fish (I recognize that as my fault).

I assumed that the point of this was that the salt took on some moisture, hardened around the fish, and created a tight container that sealed in the moisture.

The other night, though, I caught part of an Alton Brown special on salt. He was cooking shrimp buried in rock salt. He put the shrimp and rock salt in a 400 degree oven for 7 minutes. With no additional seasoning, he claimed that the results were fabulous.

Are these two techniques the same? If so, then I don't think I understood the salt-baked fish, because surely the rock salt isn't sealing in much moisture. Is the salt just seasoning the seafood? Does the salt affect how the oven's heat cooks the fish?

And while we're on the subject, are their other proteins that could be cooked this way? I mean, could I bury a boneless, skinless chicken breast in salt? (I'm joking, but you get my drift.)

[rooftop1000]

There are some recipes for baking a whole chicken in salt...and variations on the crust will sometime include herbs and sometimes egg white mixed with the salt. Egg will make the crust harden completely

T

[TAPrice]

There are some recipes for baking a whole chicken in salt...and variations on the crust will sometime include herbs and sometimes egg white mixed with the salt. Egg will make the crust harden completely

T

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Interesting. Are egg whites more necessary with larger items? With more vertical surfaces, is the salt is more likely to break apart and fall off than it would be with a fish?

So the herbs are mixed into the salt?

What kind of recipes are these? Is this a technique used more often in a specific country, or is it widespread? Any leads on those recipes?

Edited September 8, 2007 by TAPrice (log)

[jayt90]

So I've tried the trick of cooking fish in a salt dome. I spread a layer of kosher salt, put down my fish, added another layer on top, and baked the whole thing. The results were pretty good. The only problem was that I bought a fish that was too flaky and some salt clung to the fish (I recognize that as my fault).

I assumed that the point of this was that the salt took on some moisture, hardened around the fish, and created a tight container that sealed in the moisture.

The other night, though, I caught part of an Alton Brown special on salt. He was cooking shrimp buried in rock salt. He put the shrimp and rock salt in a 400 degree oven for 7 minutes. With no additional seasoning, he claimed that the results were fabulous.

Are these two techniques the same? If so, then I don't think I understood the salt-baked fish, because surely the rock salt isn't sealing in much moisture. Is the salt just seasoning the seafood? Does the salt affect how the oven's heat cooks the fish?

And while we're on the subject, are their other proteins that could be cooked this way? I mean, could I bury a boneless, skinless chicken breast in salt? (I'm joking, but you get my drift.)

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I haven't tried a salt bake yet, but I understand that the skin of the fish with its scales, moisture and fat, will form a crust with the salt, and can be discarded when served. There shouldn't be any excess salt on the fish, unless the skin was torn.

Did Alton leave the shells on the shrimp? It seems to be a good way to do zipper back shrimps.

[TAPrice]

Jayt90: Yes, that's how the salt bake should work.

Alton used rock salt instead of kosher salt for the unshelled shrimp. With those huge salt crystals, no crust formed. That's what has me a little confused.

What are zipper back shrimp?

[jayt90]

Jayt90: Yes, that's how the salt bake should work.

Alton used rock salt instead of kosher salt for the unshelled shrimp. With those huge salt crystals, no crust formed. That's what has me a little confused.

What are zipper back shrimp?

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I think zipper back is a commercial term used by Presidents Choice for (usually) frozen Tiger shrimp with back vein removed by a 2-3mm cut or slash in the shell. This type of shrimp is often the only thing available in Ontario, if a good fish store is not close by.

[budrichard]

I would caution against typical rock salt because as far as I know it has not been analyized for contaminants. Salt that you purchase for consumption derived from salt deposits (Rock salt) has been purified by steam and contaminants removed. Be sure to use only Kosher salt and not iodized table salt.

I have used kosher salt with water to form a crust on steak and with egg whites for fish. Works great but sometims the surface can be too salty. Wet clams coated in Kosher salt and BBQ'd on the grill are great also.-Dick

[TAPrice]

I would caution against typical rock salt because as far as I know it has not been analyized for contaminants. Salt that you purchase for consumption derived from salt deposits (Rock salt) has been purified by steam and contaminants removed. Be sure to use only Kosher salt and not iodized table salt.

I have used kosher salt with water to form a crust on steak and with egg whites for fish. Works great but sometims the surface can be too salty. Wet clams coated in Kosher salt and BBQ'd on the grill are great also.-Dick

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Good point on the rock salt. I'm not 100% sure that my local supermarket even carries rock salt. I'll have to check.

So you roasted the salt-covered steak in the oven? For how long and at what temperatures. Was the result that different from other techniques?

And did you cook these clams in their shells? Maybe I could do that with oysters, which are easier (and cheaper) to come by down here in Louisiana.

[budrichard]

Steak is Choice or Prime (Prime is best) round steak cut at least 2" thick, it can be wrapped in wet newspaper to help hold the salt. It is then grilled on a charcoal BBQ with hardwood charcoal lump. Break the crust, remove the steak and slice thinly against the grain. As far as time, its dependant on the thickness of your steak and heat of you grill. It does leave an unsightly mess on your grill and when breaking the crust but it tastes great!.

Clams can be washed so the shells are very clean and then one can hold the clam after Q'ing and remove the meat which has some salt content that leaches into it and drink the juice in the shell. Oysters have such a varigated surface that you can't get them clean enough but you can bake the oysters on a bed of salt on the grill or oven.-Dick

[gingerpeachy]

I am planning to bake a 5lb fresh wild sablefish (black cod) in salt tomorrow night. I see some recipes suggest using kosher salt plain, others with egg whites.

This is my first try at this technique:

1) Does using the egg whites make a significant difference?

2) Any tips for the crust and skin removal stage?

Thanks.

[KLwood]

It never crossed my mind to try this technique with beef, but Im all over it . How about with a beef Loin ? I suppose it would be prudent to have a temp. probe in the loin to begin with and then form the salt crust around it... can you give some more details about the technique as it relates to steak ?? what is the Holdover cooking allowance ??