It is customary on Rosh Hashanah to eat the head of a sheep or fish, and recite the wish: May we be as the head and not as the tail, "...She'ni'hiyeh l'rosh v'lo l'zanav". The fish is also representative of Jacob’s blessing he gave to his children and thus the entire Jewish nation that they should multiply like the fish in the sea, "...She'nif'reh v'nir'beh ki'dagim.", "...that we be fruitful and multiply like fish.".
During my Tuscan excursion I came to work at Ristorante Solferino, located outside the walled city of Lucca in S. Macario in Piano. It was there and under the instruction of Chef Giampiero that I would acquire a culinary technique that once again would fuse together my culinary life and my Jewish traditions. Being not too far from the Ligurian coast, fisherman would offer their daily catch to Chef Giampiero, usually Branzino or Spigola. Both have silvery gray skin and sweet tasting meat and would be the types of sea bass on the menu for that evening. Giampiero would have a proud look on his face, as he always did when he was about to unveil a traditional recipe of his. Although uncertain of the origins of this recipe, every chef I’ve encountered in all of Italy takes great pride in the cooking techniques and traditions. So with great enthusiasm Chef Giampiero guided me through the steps of making Spigola al sale, or salt baked fish. And it is with great enthusiasm that I share this recipe with you.
You might be a skeptic about the outcome of a recipe that calls for 5 to 6 lbs of kosher salt. This recipe will make you a believer. The salt forms a crust locking in all the delicate flavors of the fish, while the skin of the fish protects it from absorbing too much salt. I have adopted this method in cooking a whole fish for my family's Rosh Hashanah table, honoring the tradition to have a fish with its head and eat from it.
-1 (5-6 lb.) whole stripped bass, California white sea bass, red snapper, grouper, arctic char, a small salmon such as Coho salmon. Have your fish monger gut, scale, gills removed and trim all fins.
-Fresh herbs (any combination of rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme, marjoram, oregano or savory)
-6 to 7 egg whites
-1/2 cup water
-5 to 6 lbs. kosher salt
Pre heat your oven to 400˚ F. Choose an appropriate baking dish such as a glass or enamel one that will fit the entire fish. Oval shaped casserole dishes work best because it mimics the shape of your fish and you will use less salt. Whisk your egg whites and water together in a large mixing bowl. Add the kosher salt. If your skin is sensitive, use latex gloves to incorporate all the salt into the mixture with your hands. The mixture should feel and look like wet sand ready to build a sand castle. If needed add more whisked egg whites to achieve this consistency.
Place half inch layer of the mixture on bottom of the baking dish. Rinse your whole fish with cold water in the sink especially the gutted underside and the head cavity. Place the fish on the bed of salt. Lay any combination of the herbs into a bouquet that is a quarter's radius in your hands inside the belly of the fish. With the rest of the salt mixture cover the fish completely. You want to have at least a half inch of salt covering the entire fish. You should not be able to see any part of the fish when you are done.
One hour before you plan to serve the fish place the fish in the preheated oven. Cooking time will vary from 45 minutes to an hour. Check internal temperature at 45 minutes with a meat thermometer. The fish should reach 145˚ F. Place the entire fish on the table inside its baking dish. Using a meat tenderizer or the back of a big metal spoon, crack the top crust and carefully remove. Peel off the skin of the filets and gently remove the meat from the bones and serve with a side dish of your choice.
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