Line a baking pan with parchment. Wash the fish, remove the gills and entrails, but do not remove the scales.
Pour lemon juice and pepper inside the fish, add thyme or other herbs if desired.
Mix salt with egg whites. The mass should be plastic, like dough. Add a little water if necessary.
Spread some of the mass on parchment to form a bottom layer of “shell.”
Place the fish on top of the salt, and top with the remaining salt until it completely covers the fish. The thickness of the salt layer should be approximately 1.5 cm. Leave the head and tail open. Form a “shell”.
Bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 200 degrees.
When serving, break the shell, remove the salt and remove the top layer of skin. You can serve it immediately in salt, effectively breaking the “fur coat” in front of the guests right on the table.