Impress your guests by serving En papillote– a fancy french term which means “in parchment.” The process involves roasting food, more often fish, in parchment paper, along with aromatics, often including white wine and julliened vegetables. The best part is that there are no dishes involved. The packaging infuses the flavour.
Glorious Fish En Papillote
You literally need no dishes for this meal. En Papillote is a French term for preparing "in parchment".
Ingredients
- 1 large shallot, julienned
- 1 small zucchini julienned
- 1 large red pepper, julienned
- 6 small cherry tomato sliced in half
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 4 ounce white fish fillets sole, flounder, halibut, etc
- 1 large lemon thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 8 sprigs fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, dill
- 4 tbsp. butter cut iinto 4 equal pieces
- 1/4 cup white wine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut 4 large squares of parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix together the onion, zucchini, carrot and garlic, tomatoes. Add the oil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.
- Lay each fish fillet on a large square of parchment paper in the top third of the sheet, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Arrange the vegetables on top, dividing evenly. Top the vegetables with 2 lemon slices, 2 sprigs thyme, a pat of butter and 1 tablespoon white wine, layering in order.
- Fold the parchment paper up over the mixture and then fold around the edges tightly in 1/4-inch folds to create a half moon shape. Make sure you press as you crimp and fold to seal the packets well, otherwise the steam will escape. A
- Arrange the parcels on a baking sheet. Bake until the fish is cooked through, about 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
- To serve, cut open the packets and serve directly in the parchment on a plate or remove the fish to the plate using a spatula, being sure you don't leave the juices behind.
Notes
The essence of this dish using white fish (or shellfish) and aromatics (wine, herbs, butter). Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, just ensure they are julianned or otherwise cut into small pieces so they will be cooked.
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