Salt-Crusted Lake Trout with Vierge Sauce
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I have spent three long, long years chasing a lake trout in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, located in the north eastern corner of Utah. Countless hours trolling with nothing but the constant lull of the motor. And even more hours jigging my pole up and down, up and down, up and down. I’ve switched up my lures, the fishing line on the pole, the trolling depth, the trolling speed. I’ve watched numerous videos on how to fish for lake trout and unsuccessfully implemented every technique I found. Like I said, it’s been a long three years.
And then this past June, success! I can’t say why or even necessarily what worked, but I can now say I have hooked a lake trout.
I decided to prepare the fish with a simple technique to allow the flavors of the fish be the star of the dish. Salt baking results in incredibly tender and moist meat, and no, it doesn’t taste salty. Another wonderful thing about using a salt baking technique is the herbs and citrus can be switched out to fit the diner’s choice. Citrus slices could be lime, tangerine, orange, or even grapefruit. Alternative herbs could include thyme, sage, mint, oregano, dill, or rosemary.
This cooking technique not only results in perfectly cooked meat, but it makes for a fun show at a dinner party when you crack open salt case and remove the treasured fish prize. It also is a fun way to make fish with kids since hands are needed to mix the salt and the fish is basically covered like burying someone in the sand on a beach.
Give this fun, tasty, and fresh fish baking technique a try!
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 – 6 people
Also Works With: any variety of trout (rainbow, cutthroat, brown, etc), striped bass, red snapper, branzino, etc.
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Salt-Crusted Lake Trout with Vierge Sauce
4
servings30
minutes40
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For the Fish
1 fish at least 2 pounds but can larger– skin, head and tail can be left on. Clean out the guts.
8 cups salt
6 egg whites
1 small bunch parsley
1 small bunch basil
4 -5 sprigs tarragon
4 -5 stems lemongrass
1 medium -sized lemon
- For the Vierge Sauce
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 medium shallot
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup kalamata olives
1 bunch fresh basil
1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep the fish for cooking by cleaning the guts and removing the fins. The skin, head and tail may remain on. Rinse the fish thoroughly and pat dry.
- Into the cavity of the fish, stuff the parsley, basil, and tarragon. Slice the lemon into thin pieces and lay on top of the herbs. *The herbs are chef’s choice! Other great alternatives could be thyme, sage, mint, or whatever else you can dream up.
- Muddle the lemon grass a bit before also placing in the cavity. This will help release the flavors and aromas of the grass. *If you are unable to find fresh lemon grass stems, most stores carry a bottled paste that can be substituted for this recipe.
- In a large bowl, add the salt and six egg whites. Using your hands, mix until the egg whites are completely absorbed and the salt has the texture of mud. It should be wet enough to hold its shape when pressed into a ball in your palm but not so wet it falls apart. If it is too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time. If it is too wet, add more salt.
- On a large baking sheet, create a foundation of salt to lay the fish on. The salt should be about a ¼ to ½ thick and cover the entire surface of the fish.
- Place the fish on the salt foundation and then use the remaining salt to encase the entire fish. Make sure there are no holes or gaps.
- Bake the fish for 40 minutes.
- While the fish is baking, make the sauce
- For the sauce, dice the cherry tomatoes and add to a small bowl. Next, mince the shallots and roughly chop the pine nuts and olives. Add the shallots, nuts, and olives to the bowl. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and add to the bowl. Squeeze the juice of lemon over the tomato sauce and add the olive oil. Mix until the olive oil is lightly coating all the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- The fish is done when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, a metal skewer can be inserted into the cavity of the fish and if it comes out hot the fish is done. If not, let the fish bake another five to ten minutes.
- Once the fish is done baking, allow to rest for ten minutes before opening. To open, simply insert a thin, sharp knife along the edge of the salt crust and cut around the base, creating almost a lid on the top of the salt mound. Once you have cut around the entire fish, lift the lid off and reveal the perfectly cooked fish.
- To serve, remove the filets from the fish. The skin should easily peel off and the meat will pull away from the bones. Plate and serve with the vierge sauce. Enjoy!
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