Fish En Papillote
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2
Fish en Papillote is a cooking process that steams fish fillets in an enclosed paper packet. This technique ensures that all the flavor and moisture is locked in. It's an easy way to enjoy steamed fish without the fuss or mess of expensive steaming equipment. The best part is opening the delicious parcel filled with fragrant steam at the table for your guests to enjoy. This dish will be the most flavorful and moist fish you’ve ever eaten, perfect with a side of steamed rice or vegetables.
Ingredients
Parchment paper
2 boneless skinless halibut fillets about 6-8 ounces each (any firm white fish will do)
2 cloves of garlic shaved or thinly sliced
1 lemon cut into slices
1 large shallot cut into slivers
2 tablespoons of dry white wine
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
2 pats of butter
2 tablespoons of your favorite herbs such as flat-leaf parsley, dill, or thyme
Lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Preparation
Arrange a rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut parchment paper roughly 15 x 10 inches, and crease parchment paper in half.
Arrange both pieces of fish on top of the parchment paper side by side on one side of the crease.
Scatter on the shaved garlic, lemon slices, and quartered shallots over the fillets.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, paper, and Old Bay.
Top each piece of fish with a pat of butter and your favorite herbs.
Fold the parchment paper in half—all the edges and corners should meet up.
From one of the folded corners, start pleating and crimping the two edges shut, working towards the other corners, leaving the last two inches unfolded at the opposite end.
Tilt the bag with the open corner up slightly and pour the white wine in the small opening.
Finish crimping the edges closed, and give the bag a gentle but firm twist at the end, so the bag doesn’t come undone.
Place the packet on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes. The bag will puff up during cooking.
Remove the packet from the oven and plate.
Right before serving, cut open the packet with scissors tableside, and serve immediately.