Categories: gluten-free, dairy-free, quick and easy Baking food in a salt crust uses the same principle as the earth oven but is infinitely more convenient. The vast quantities of salt required leave a sense of uneasiness in even the least health conscious cook and spark fears of inedible, overly salted food in even the most accomplished cook. Fear not, the salt creates a crust but does not overly permeate the skin of the fish. The salt acts as an insulation, so it cooks gently but up to a third faster than simply baking. You can use most types of fish for this, big and small, just adjust the salt and the baking time. The most traditional fish used in Italy are dentex, gilthead bream, striped red mullet, plaice, and sole. The skin of the fish is not used in this case so is peeled off along with the salt casing. The general ratio is 1 kilo of fish to 1.5 kilos of salt, so adjust accordingly. The baking time is 10 minutes for every 2 cm of thickness of the fish.