Recipes Pimentón-Roasted Red Snapper with Herb Salad 5.0 (1) 1 Review F&W's Justin Chapple brushes a whole red snapper with pimentón oil to give it a terrific smoky flavor, then roasts it packed in salt so it's supermoist. By Justin Chapple Justin Chapple Facebook Instagram Twitter Justin Chapple is a chef, recipe developer, food writer, video host, and cookbook author. In addition, he is the culinary director-at-large of Food & Wine and host of their video series, Mad Genius Tips, for which he was nominated twice for a prestigious James Bead Award. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 1, 2014 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Con Poulos Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons pimentón de la Vera (sweet smoked Spanish paprika) 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 lemon, sliced 6 cups kosher salt (30 ounces), plus more for seasoning 3 large egg whites, beaten One 2-pound whole red snapper, cleaned Ground black pepper 3 large bay leaves 5 medium celery ribs, thinly sliced on the diagonal 1 cup celery leaves 1 cup parsley leaves 1/2 cup tarragon leaves 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Directions Preheat the oven to 425°. In a small bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the pimentón and lemon zest. In a large bowl, mix the 6 cups of kosher salt with the egg whites and 1/2 cup of water until it resembles moist sand. Spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of the salt mixture in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet. Season the fish inside and out with black pepper and brush all over with the pimentón oil. Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices and bay leaves and lay the snapper on the salt. Mound the remaining salt mixture on top, lightly packing it to completely cover the fish. Bake the fish for about 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the fish through the salt registers 135°. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Crack the salt crust and discard it. Brush off any excess salt and transfer the fish to a platter. In a large bowl, toss the celery with the celery leaves, parsley, tarragon, lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve alongside the fish. Suggested Pairing Vibrant, herb-scented Loire Sauvignon Blanc. Rate it Print