Good Friday Whole Fish

1 ½-2kg whole fish*, such as snapper or barramundi, cleaned but unscaled
*it is VERY important that the scales are left in tact
2 tablespoons Lomondo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon ground pepper
4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1kg cooking salt
2 eggs
For Serving
½ cup Lomondo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup aioli or mayonnaise
6 lemons, cut into wedges

Preheat barbecue or preheat oven to 180oC. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Wash fish thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper. Rub the inside cavity of the fish liberally with Lomondo Extra Virgin Olive Oil then season with pepper. Place the fish on the baking tray and fill the cavity with tomatoes.

Combine the cooking salt with eggs and enough water to make the mixture look like slightly wet sand – the salt should clump together between your fingers. Mould the salt over the fish completely covering it, for a very large fish you will need more salt mixture, it should be at least 1cm thick all over the fish. Bake for 1 hour, at this stage the salt crust should be very hard.

Remove from the oven and crack the salt crust and remove it in chunks, when you remove the crust the scales of the fish will be removed at the same time. Serve the fish doused with Lomondo Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a bowl or aioli and lemon wedges. Ideal served with a green salad and a cucumber salad.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Oven Temp: 180oC
Serves: 6-8