Pesce Sale, Serves 2 - 4 depending on the size and number of fish.

You have not lived until you've tried this little dish. Pesce Sale is at once simple, surprising, uniquely Italian and above all fabulous to eat. Dig this: you cover whole fish entirely with salt and bake it at a high temperature for 20 - 25 minutes. That's it! Who would have thought? All you need is fish, large crystal salt, a baking dish and an oven....oh...and olive oil with lemon. How could we forget?

We first had this one in a seafood restaurant in Milan - expensive place, highly coveted, needed reservations one month in advance. Can't remember the name of the restaurant or where it was (Milan is like a labyrinth especially late at night when someone else is driving). When the waiter was asked what he thought was the recommended dish, this was his response:

• Big crystal salt. "Sale grosso" in Italy, "Coarse Sea Salt" - in the U.S. usually found at a health food store. You need enough to bury the fish in this salt - top and bottom. A big box for 2 - 3 medium sized fish.
• Whole fish: cleaned. Snapper, white fish,. bass, trout, salmon. One per adult.
• Olive oil
• Lemon

Rinse the fish inside and out. We don't want any unwanted spices! Place it in a baking dish with some sides to it. Coat the bottom of the pan with salt; put the fish in and completely entomb the fish in salt. No part of the fish should peek from underneath the encasement of sale. Bake at a very high temperature for 20 -25 minutes: 500 degrees F or 260 degrees C. Crack open the salt, take the whole fish out of the dish and serve on a separate dish with as little salt clinging as possible. The real trick is opening the fish like a book so the bones separate out from the meat, and not mixing the crystals of salt with the meat.

Serve simply with olive oil drizzled over the top and lemon squeezed to taste. Mama mia! Be sure to invite us over, we'll bring the wine.