Recipes Salt-Baked Whole Fish with Fennel and Olives Be the first to rate & review! Chef Jamie Malone of Sea Change in Minneapolis bakes a whole fish in a salt crust, which makes it insanely moist, delicate and well-seasoned, plus the presentation is extremely dramatic. By Jamie Malone Jamie Malone Won Best New Chef At Sea Change, Minneapolis, MN Why She’s Amazing Because she’s masterfully running one of the country’s best sustainable seafood restaurants. BORN 1982; St. Paul, MN Culinary School Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts (Mendota Heights, MN) Background Porter & Frye, Barrio, Cocina del Barrio, internship at La Belle Vie (Minneapolis) Quintessential Dish Scallops with chicken “crumble” (fried chicken skin) and carrots three ways: blackened, as a confit and as a foam Young Adventurer After high school, she traveled alone to Hong Kong, Beijing, Vietnam and Europe, sampling street food and exploring food markets. On Fresh Ocean Fish in the Midwest Recently, “I’d ordered an ahi tuna [for the restaurant], and it missed its flight.” The fish she serves isn’t “just a commodity that you can go and get at the store. Each fish is special, and if he misses his flight, we don’t get to have that fish.” Favorite Non-Fish Ingredient Jidori (free-range Japanese chicken) eggs. “They’ve got a superbright-orange yolk, and a rich, farm-y flavor.” What She Learned from Chef Tim McKee “Keep your head down. Don’t talk. Be organized.”Story of Discovery “There were so many dishes that sounded delicious on the menu that it took me a long time to order at Sea Change, where Jamie Malone is the chef. (Tim McKee, an F&W Best New Chef 1997, oversees the place.) Finally, I just dove in, starting with Malone’s version of chawan mushi, which she makes with bacon. The super-silky, just-set custard with its hint of porky smokiness and aromatic yuzu, topped with barely cooked scallop slices, is a Japanese classic reimagined with confidence and sophistication. Malone’s cooked-just-right trout roulade with smoked farro, roasted grapes and Marcona almonds left me wondering, How did she turn the fillets into perfect spirals? ‘Meat glue,’ she told me. ‘Wow,’ I replied, not because she smartly used the enzyme powder to hold the fish together, but because the dish is that good.”—Tina Ujlaki Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 17, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Marcus Nilsson Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 9 large egg whites 4 cups kosher salt (24 ounces) One 3-pound red snapper—cleaned, fins and tail removed Canola oil, for brushing 1 large navel orange—half thinly sliced, half zested and juiced 3 thyme sprigs 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large fennel bulb (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and thinly sliced 1/4 cup dry white wine 3 ounces Picholine olives, pitted and coarsely chopped 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives, plus more for garnish Directions Preheat the oven to 400° and position a rack in the lower third. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the salt and beat just to combine. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread a 1/2-inch-thick layer of the salt foam on the paper in the shape of the fish. Brush the fish lightly with oil and set it on the salt foam. Stuff the orange slices and thyme sprigs in the cavity and cover the fish with the remaining salt foam; be sure to coat it completely and seal any gaps. Poke a hole through the salt into the thickest part of the fish, just behind the head. Bake the fish for about 40 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the fish registers 140°. Let the fish rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the fennel, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the fennel is tender and browned, about 10 minutes longer. Add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add the olives and the orange zest and juice and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chives and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Crack the salt crust and remove the top and sides. Carefully remove the skin from the flesh and, using an offset spatula, lift the fillets off the center bone. Transfer the fillets to a plate. Carefully lift up the bone and discard. Lift the flesh from the underside of the fish, leaving the skin and salt behind. Serve the fish with the fennel and olives. Suggested Pairing With this Mediterranean-inflected fish, serve a southern French rosé. Rate it Print