No, not the saltiest fish dinner. Rather, the easiest way to cook a whole fish without covering your home in grease, bad fish smells and dirty dishes. Why does this work? It basically creates a warm little oven (inside your oven) that helps trap moisture in and cook the fish evenly. Make sure to tell your monger exactly how you want the fish cleaned to yield the best results.

PARTS
— 2lb whole fish (like red snapper or branzino) cleaned and gutted, with scales left on**
— 3lb box kosher salt
— 5 egg whites
— A few slices of any citrus: sliced lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange etc.
— Big handful of any herb sprigs: thyme, mint, rosemary, fresh bay leaves, dill etc.

CLUES
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix salt and egg whites until the mixture turns into a wet, sandy texture.

3. Spread 1/4 of the salt mixture on the prepared baking sheet, making a “bed” roughly the size of your fish. Pat fish dry with paper towel and stuff the cavity with some of the herbs and citrus. Place remaining herbs and citrus under and on top of the fish, laying it down on the salt bed. Use the remaining salt mixture to enclose the entire fish, pressing down gently to cover completely.

4. Transfer to the oven and bake until salt is light golden and hard to the touch, about 25-30 minutes. Fish should have an internal temperature of 135°F.

5. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, 10 minutes. Use a mallet or the back of a knife to gently crack the salt coating away from the fish (it should come off in large chunks). Remove and discard the skin (it will peel right off) and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

** Keeping the scales on your fish creates a nice barrier from the salt, and makes it much easier to remove the skin once it’s been baked. If your fish is a little smaller or a little larger than 2lb, bake it on the lower or higher ends of the time range.