Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin to gut the fish by making an incision along the belly, from under the chin of the fish to about 3 inches away from the tail. Make another incision on one side of the fish about an inch behind the gills, angling your knife so that the tip is pointing more towards the head of the fish than the tail. Repeat on the other side. (This youtube video is especially helpful to watch if you've never cleaned/scaled a fish before.) Reach in and pull out the innards, discarding them.

To scale the fish, place a cutting board in the bottom of a deep sink and place the fish on it (this helps keep the scales relatively contained to the sink area as they fly off the fish). Use the dull backside of the knife to vigorously scrape against the grain of the scales in long fluid motions until the scales are removed. Rinse the fish to remove any stray scales and pat it dry.

Rub down the inside of the bass with the salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stuff the fish with the thyme sprigs, lemons, ginger, and garlic. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salt mound.

To prepare the salt, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until they hold soft peaks. Fold in the salt, cilantro, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil until completely combined and the texture resembles wet sand.

Spread out some of the salt mixture onto a baking sheet so that it is roughly the length and width of the bass. Uncover the bass and place it on the mound. Pack the salt mixture around the fish to seal in the moisture. Use a thin sharp knife to poke a hole through the salt mound and into the thickest part of the fish (usually near the head) to allow steam to escape. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the fish reads at leafs 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Crack the salt mound with the back of a spoon and break it off in large chunks, discarding it. Peel the skin off of the bass and cut out the cooked filets, discarding the skin, spine, and bones. Serve immediately.