Japanese Baked Sea Bream

1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Prepare the Fish

1. Rinse 1 red sea bream, both inside and outside, under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. Sprinkle 1½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt all over the fish and inside the fish. Why salt? Please read the blog post on why salting is important. Let sit for 30 minutes on the kitchen counter.
3. After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Use paper towels to pat dry all the moisture that has oozed out from the fish.
4. Score the thickest part of the flesh. Score an X on the front (presentation side), with the fish head pointing left. Make 2–3 slashes on the back (fish head pointing right). The depth of the lashes is usually midway between the skin and the bone, just enough to opening up the flesh for the heat to get through the flesh more efficiently. Read more about it in the blog post.
5. Coat the fins (3 locations) and tail with 2 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to prevent them from burning. Spread out the fins when sprinkling and press the salt down with your fingers.
6. Find a pointy object like an ice pick (I use a takoyaki pick). Make a puncture near the tail so a bamboo skewer can go through (unfortunately, a bamboo skewer is not strong enough to puncture through the fish).
7. Insert the bamboo skewer through the hole in the tail, then puncture through the upper eyes.
8. Cover the tail and fins with aluminum foil.
9. Put the foil-wrapped pectoral fin on the bamboo so that it will stand up after being baked.
10. Place the fish on a wire rack in a baking sheet so the air will circulate underneath the fish. Place oven-safe ramekins under the fish head and tail for support.
11. Here’s the closer look.

To Bake

1. Insert an oven probe (like a Thermoworks Chef’s Alarm) into the thickest part of the flesh (through the score). Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and attach the probe to the oven.
2. Bake the fish at 425ºF (220ºC) until the thickest part of the fish registers 145°F (63°C) on the oven meat probe or on an instant-read thermometer, about 40–45 minutes (for a 3-lb fish).
3. Remove from the oven. Remove the skewer and the aluminum foil (be careful as the fins and tail may be stuck to the foil). Decorate the fish (read the blog post for some ideas) and serve immediately.

To Store

1. You can store the leftover in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To Use the Leftover Fish (Bones and Flesh)

1. Following my recipe, use the leftovers to make delicious Tai Meshi (Sea Bream Rice).