How to Make Fish en Papillote
Steps to Make Fish en Papillote
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Tear off a generous square of parchment paper. Fold it in half, and cut out a half-moon shape with kitchen shears—you want to be able to unfold the parchment and have a circle. The circle should be large enough to hold your fish fillet when folded over.
- Spread out the circle of parchment on a cutting board and place your fish fillet in the center to one side of the fold. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Add lemon slices and herbs (here we use thyme).
- Fold the parchment over the fillet and crimp the edges to seal the package in a half-moon shape.
- Bake on a baking sheet for 12-15 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Tips to Prepare Fish en Papillote
- Cooking fish in parchment paper is a good technique for lean fish, like halibut or cod. Any fish that may otherwise dry out easily is a great choice for papillote.
- Parchment is great for cooking other seafood as well. Mussels and deveined shrimp cook perfectly in parchment. You can even mix seafood in the same parchment for a variety of flavors.
- Feel free to get creative with flavors. Substitute lime for lemon and try adding sliced onions and peppers to cook with the fish. Use any seasoning you favor for seafood like Cajun, crab seasoning, five-spice or Italian seasoning.
- Try serving the fish in the package for a dazzling effect when guests open the parchment.
- Serve alongside blanched vegetables and quick-pickle onions for a simple meal.
