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How did it get to the middle of the month already? Talk about blink and you miss it. I’ve been so busy this month that I’ve hardly had time to sit down. I’ve got a great, speedy, foolproof recipe for you today, just as suitable for a weeknight dinner as it is for serving at a dinner party: Baked Fish en Papillote.
I love eating fish whenever I have the chance, but I don’t like to fry it as no matter what I do, the smell of fried fish seems to hang around for days. That’s where this quick and easy French method comes in. The fish is baked together with aromatics and vegetables in a sealed pouch, this creates a perfect pocket of steam, infusing the fish with fabulous flavours in one tidy little parcel.
I like to use Mediterranean flavours for this dish: tomatoes, olives, lemon and capers, as well as throwing in a few fresh mussels or cockles if I have them. It is lovely as well with other add-ins, asparagus is great, but even very thinly sliced potatoes or pumpkin will cook through. You can even assemble the parcels a few hours ahead of time so they are excellent for entertaining as you can have all the work done before your guests arrive and simply throw them in the oven just before dinner time.
Once you try this recipe and see how simple, light and easy it is to make you will be hooked. It is great for experimenting with, and you can use all sorts of different types of fish, just remember that sturdier fish like salmon will need a few minutes longer in the oven. When serving Fish en Papillote, bring the parcels to the table in shallow bowls and let everyone tear in. The aroma that comes out of the parcels is truly mouthwatering.
Have you tried making Baked Fish En Papillote before? What’s your favourite flavour combination? Let me know in the comments below. xJ
Let me know if you try this recipe in the comments below, or using the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram. Happy cooking!
Baked Fish En Papillote
A lovely, easy way to cook fish, Baked Fish En Papillote is a classic French recipe where the fish is steamed in a paper parcel in the oven. Loads of flavour and minimum effort.
Ingredients
- 4 thick fish fillets, 150g each.
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 Kalamata olives
- 8 small mussels or cockles, cleaned
- 1 Tbsp capers
- ½ small red onion or shallot, very finely diced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 20g butter
- 20ml lemon juice
- small bunch of parsley, leaves finely chopped
- sea salt and black pepper
to seal the parcels:
- 1 egg white, beaten
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C / 400° F / Gas 6. Cut four circles of baking paper, each around 30cm / 12 in. in diameter, fold each circle in half, then open up again.
- Place one fish fillet on each circle, to the right of the centre line. Divide the tomatoes, olives and mussels between the parcels, and scatter over the capers, onion and lemon zest. Top each piece of fish with some of the butter, lemon juice and a sprinkling of parsley, then season well with salt and pepper.
- Brush the edge of the baking paper with the beaten egg white, then fold in half, pressing the edges together. Starting at one end of the parcel make small pleated folds to seal.
- Place the parcels onto a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The parcels will puff up while they are baking as the ingredients steam inside.
- Serve immediately with salad or fresh green beans. It’s nice to let your guests open the parcels at the table.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 ParcelAmount Per Serving: Calories: 411Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 882mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 51g
Nutrition information is calculated automatically and isn’t always accurate.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What sort of fish can I use to make Baked Fish En Papillote?
You can use all sorts of different types of fish, just remember that sturdier fish like salmon will need a few minutes longer in the oven.
Can I prepare Fish En Papillote in advance?
Yes! Up to about 4 hours in advance, any longer and the acid in the lemon juice will start ‘cooking’ the fish like ceviche!
What should I serve with Baked Fish En Papillote?
I like to serve this fish with potatoes as well as some garlicky green beans. A fresh salad would be lovely too.
