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The dish is very simple to make using an ancient technique common to many cultures:  Gypsies have put hedgehogs in clay and baked them over a fire.  Maoris have dug pits in the sand, wrapped pigs and fish in banana leaves and cooked them over hot sticks.  Chinese and Indians have used terracotta bricks.   
Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 x 1.25kg (31b) bass or bream, scaled, gutted and washed
2.75kg (61b) coarse sea salt
Melted butter and wedges of lemon, to serve

Instructions
Put a layer of salt in a big, deep casserole up to a depth of 3cm (I'/, inches) and lay the fish on its back on top.  Cover completely with the rest of the salt.  Bake in a very hot preheated oven, 220'C/425'F (gas mark 7), for about 35 minutes.
When you remove the casserole from the oven knock the bottom of it to loosen the salt block.  Then carefully knock the salt from around the fish.  Serve at once with the hot melted butter and lemon wedges.
If you want to add extra flavour simply add a combination of butter, tarragon, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper into the belly of the fish and close the opening before cooking.
This method of preventing the flavours of the fish from escaping could be used for cooking many other fish and meat dishes. 

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