Modern Cooking - Salmon in Salt Mantle

I have to admit, this recipe does not really fit the concept of modern cooking, which is versatile, quick meals that can easily adapt to different diets (at some point, we had to cater to three diets in our family: omnivores, pescetarian, and lactose-free). However, once I had this delicious dish at a company dinner, I knew I had to try it at home, since we all love fish. A couple of weeks ago I finally remembered to buy all the salt I needed and here's the goodness I had after packing a Bellingham salmon in salt and had it cook in the oven for an hour:

Here's the recipe:

1 whole salmon
about 3lbs (3kgs) of salt (yes, that much! I used 4 lbs/2kg and the crust turned out just a tad bit too thick, so less next time)
2 egg whites, beaten
1/2 cup of water
pepper and/or herbs to taste if desired

Cover a baking dish with aluminum foil. Mix salt, beaten egg whites, and water to a paste. Put down half of the salt mix on the aluminum foil. Wash the salmon under running water inside and outside. Do not under any circumstances remove the skin!! Season the meat with pepper or herbs if desired (we like the plain taste of the salmon, so we didn't season at all). Lay on the salt and cover the entire fish with the remaining salt mix. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes at 350°F / 180°C. Let the fish rest of about 10 minutes. Carefully crack the crust (it will be hard!!) and pull back. The skin will probably cling to the crust and should peel easily.

Enjoy with scalloped potatoes and a salad.


Some pictures of the procedure:

The salt mix (4 1-lb packs)

The salmon in its bed...

... and with its salty blanket