Ingredients

• 3 cups fine sea salt (1 3/4 lb), preferably unrefined
• 2 to 4 large egg whites
• 2 (1-lb) whole branzini (European sea bass) or small sea bass, cleaned, heads and tails left intact
• 6 fresh parsley sprigs
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 lemon slices, halved
• Special equipment: parchment paper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Place salt in a bowl and add egg whites 1 at a time, stirring, until mixture looks like wet sand (the number will vary).
3. Rinse fish and pat dry. Place fish on a parchment-lined large baking sheet and divide remaining ingredients between cavities of fish.
4. Firmly pat half of salt evenly over each fish to cover fish completely.
5. Bake fish in middle of oven until salt is just starting to turn golden at edges, 15 to 18 minutes (see cooks' note, below).
6. Crack salt away from fish and discard, then carefully lift fish from bones.