Since I love sketching and I love cooking, what better way to combine the two than to cook what I sketch?

So, recently, when I created a fish sketching tutorial using a fresh trout I’d purchased from the local fishmonger, I didn’t want it to go to waste. So I decided to cook the fish and film the process. I’m no Martha Stewart or Julia Child, but I think you’ll get the gist of the process in this fun, short video.

I discovered this salt-encrusted fish recipe while on a trip to the Mediterranean, where we visited the salt flats of Trapani, on the northern coast of the Italian island of Sicily. Salt has, of course, been used for thousands of years to preserve and flavor food. The history of these particular salt flats goes back probably as far as the Phoenicians. When we visited, many beautiful flamingos were enjoying feeding in the salt flats, but I digress!

This video shows you each step in the preparation of this dish. I highly recommend you try it yourself some time.

Ingredients you’ll need

For the fish recipe, you’ll need a fresh, whole fish, about a pound of salt,  eggs,  lemons, fresh herbs, fresh fennel, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, and pepper. Your sides are risotto and a salad, though I haven’t included recipes for those.

For the Buerre Blanc, you’ll need shallots, white wine, dill, red pepper flakes. Or you could use this recipe from Epicurious.

And don’t forget a nice bottle of Italian white wine. Salute!