Fish En Papillote
This is my recipe and feel free to vary the herbs, the vegetables, and even the fish. Fish cooked en papillote (which is French for “in paper” and is pronounced ahn-pa-pee-yawt) means to bake fish inside of a pouch made of folded parchment paper.
Equipment
- Baking Pan
- Parchment paper for baking
- Small bowl for mixing
Ingredients
- 4 6 oz Fish fillets. Haddock, cod, salmon, halibut, flounder, trout. A firm flesh fish.
- 1/4 Cup Butter, unsalted, softened.
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced.
- 2 TBSP Parsley, chopped
- 1 Small Shallot, diced
- 1/4 TSP Fresh Coarse Black pepper
- 1/2 TSP Coarse Salt
- 1 small Lemon
- 4 Cups Fresh baby spinach – chopped rough
Vegetable Choices to pack in the fish packet
- 12 Cherry Tomatoes left whole
- 1 Cup Yellow squash- sliced in 1/2 inch pieces make sure they are sized to cook properly.
- 1 Cup Zucchini – sliced in 1/2 inch pieces make sure they are sized to cook properly.
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, add the Butter, garlic, parsley, shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Zest the lemon right into the bowl (reserve the whole lemon). With a fork, mash the butter to smoothly combine all of the ingredients. Cut the whole lemon into thin slices (you will need 8 slices total for the recipe).
- Tear off 4 pieces of parchment that are at least 12 inches on each side. Lay the sheet flat on a work surface. Place 1 cup of spinach in the center of a sheet, leaving space at the top and bottom. On top of the spinach, place 1 fish fillet so that it runs vertically top to bottom. Lightly sprinkle the fish with salt. With the back of a small spoon, spread one-quarter of the butter mixture on top of the fish. Lay 2 slices of lemon on top of the butter mixture and sprinkle the vegetables you are using around the fish.
- Fold the Parchment Packets: Lift the right and left sides of the paper up and towards the center, directly above the fish. Touch the two sides together and tightly roll them, folding as you go, until you reach the fish. Now, roll and crimp the top and bottom ends, rolling them towards the counter, away from the center of the fish. When you reach the end, tuck the end underneath the fish. Place the packet on a rimmed baking sheet, using the weight of the fish to hold the ends in place (you don't want the packet to come unsealed as it bakes). Repeat with remaining three packets. Reserve any remaining lemon slices for serving.
- Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is fully cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Serve warm with reserved lemon slices and additional fresh parsley as desired. Do not overbake. A thinner fillet will take less time. Plan accordingly.
Notes
wine suggestions:
A nice French Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, a Spanish Albarino, or Austrian Gruner Veltiner.
For a red wine: Beaujolais and Pinot Noir are good bets
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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