Salt Crusted Whole Fish with Blood Oranges

Directions

1. Go to a busy, generous, talkative fishmonger and find out what's good..get that, have it cleaned and scaled, (leave the head & tail on!) come home and preheat oven to 350
2. Dump out most of the salt in a bowl add the zest of 1 blood orange, 1 lemon, the chopped rosemary and a crumbled up bay leaf mix it all up, add drips of water until it clumps but does not melt put half on a sheet pan to make a bed for your fish. If you need more add more salt
3. Wipe your fish with a clean towel inside and out, season the cavity with salt and pepper then stuff with slices of orange, rosemary branches and bay leaves...
4. Place stuffed fishy on his bed of salt and cover with remaining salt, shape into attractive fish shape if you must (I must) bake around 30 -40 minutes or longer depending on the size of your fish the salt crust should be hard and a bit brown about the edges. I've found this a very forgiving dish, have never really over cooked it, and it can sort of sit around for awhile when it comes out of the oven, at least until you finish you cocktails.
5. Whack the salt crust with the back of a wooden spoon about 3 times as if it were very bad, the crust should crack and it can be peeled off easily.
6. Whisk juice of 2 oranges & 1 lemon with best olive oil season with salt and pepper for drizzling;
7. Presentation: A: Select a cooking vessel that is lovelier than a sheet pan, remove top crust, and herbs etc from inside the fish cavity and serve in vessel surrounded by halved oranges, rosemary branches and bay leaves for a rustic adventurous look...dig in with fingers and forks..dip or drizzle pieces of fish with blood orange/lemon/olive oil mix
8. Presentation B: remove the top crust, carefully lift top filets, then gently pull head up the skeleton should follow , toss or save to make fish stock, carefully pull out bottom fillets from salt bed, taking care to remove all bones and skin..thinly slice blood oranges and scatter them about a serving plate. lay fish filets over the orange slices, drizzle with citrus-juice-olive oil emulsion (serve remainder on the side), toss a few whole rosemary branches on the plates for eye appeal..serve with preserved lemon couscous with almonds and green olives.