Need help with a Recipe Substitute

I saw a recipe on the Today Show this AM for Wild Striped bass cooked in a salt crust. My question is, can I substitue some other fish in this recipe? I have some fresh fish in the freezer that are smaller, that I would like to try. Any suggestions? The fish that I have are Bream/Brem, they are about the size of a hand.

Thanks all

I found this online:

striped bass = striper  Substitutes: grouper OR sea bass (less choice) OR tilefish OR halibut OR salmon OR blackfish

porgy   Pronunciation:  PORE-ghee  Notes:  This category includes the scup = fair maid, sea bream, red porgy, sheepshead porgy, shad porgy, whitebone porgy, and jolthead porgy.  Porgies tend to be bony, but they're highly prized for their delicate flavor.   Substitutes: ocean perch OR rockfish OR red snapper (not as sweet)

So, I don't know if the bream is a more delicately flavored fish and you might not be taking the most advantage of it's natural flavor?  That would be my only question.  Is it more of a technique to cooking the fish in the crust vs. a souped up flavor do you think?  If so, it might be OK.

Hope this helps a little bit!

As long as the fish you have (or purchase) are whole and not filets. You don't have to keep the heads on them, but other than that you need the whole fish (minus the scales and guts). You might have to adjust your cooking time for the smaller fish.

I think it is more of a technique to cook the fish. I was thinking because the Bream is a delicate fish that baking it in salt would make the fish way too salty. I love fish and don't want to mess up good fish. I could get red snapper from the market and try that.

Thanks for your input.

It is a technique. It's also done with beef. The salt crust does not permeate the meat, it does hold in the juices. Bream will be fine if they're whole, the salt goes on the skin and gets crusty. When you peel off the skin, you'll peel the salt crust off with it.

LOL, I'm sorry I have to laugh at you're wanting to substitute snapper. I live in Alabama and because of the fishing restrictions imposed to help repopulate the snapper, that's one fish I would never experiment with. They aren't hard to get, but it's a short season and like everything else, are getting more expensive. If you don't want to use the bream, try perch or tilapia.

Footsie,

I live in northern Utah and see Red Snapper in the market all the time, I guess there is no restrictions out here..LOL..I do already have the bream and have them thawing out already for supper, well dinner out here..LOL

Oh they're still catchable which is why you can find them in the markets. It's just that down here, they've shortened the season for both commercial and recreational fishermen, limited the amount to 2 per person and increased the minimum size. But that's Alabama, the other coastline states have they're own rules. It just depends on where you get your fishing license and what waters you fish in. And I couldn't even begin to guess about other countries.

Just wanted all to know that I used the Bream in the recipe. The fish was good, but the salt was too much for the small fish, it simply overwhlemed the fish. The recipe is great, but is probably better with a larger fish.