This Fish en Papillote recipe may sound fancy, but it may be the easiest dinner ever!
Loaded with fresh veggies and herbs, this Mediterranean inspired fish recipe may be the perfect light summertime meal.
It’s a great make ahead dish, and can easily be customized. Best of all, there’s hardly any cleanup. Sounds like a winner to us!
Cooking food in packets is a pretty new cooking method for us, but we’ve learned to love it. We started with our Shrimp Foil Packs.
Then we were so impressed with Greek Kleftico that we presented it as our 1000th post.
We’re still at it, and this time Fish en Papillote is on the menu!
What is “en Papillote”?
“En papillote” is a method of cooking in which the food is put into a folded pouch (often made from parchment paper) and then baked.
The phrase is French and literally translates to “in parchment.” When cooked en papillote, the food steams in its own juices and the flavors of any added herbs, spices, or other seasonings are infused into the food.
This technique is commonly used with fish, but can also be used with chicken, vegetables, and other ingredients.
The food and its seasonings are placed inside the pouch, which is then sealed and cooked in the oven. The heat of the oven causes the air inside the pouch to expand, puffing it up and steaming the food inside.
When the pouch is opened at the table, the steam and aromas are released, adding an element of drama to the meal, and making it an impressive company dish.
Best Types of Fish to Cook en Papillote
For this recipe, we recommend a thick, sturdy white fish. Some top contenders are cod (which we are using today), halibut, haddock, grouper or snapper.
Avoid very thin fillets, as they will cook too fast in comparison to the veggies.
Salmon is also great cooked en papillote. However, if using salmon you may wish to change up the seasonings from what we are using in this recipe. See the variations section for ideas.
Ingredients Needed
- Fish
- Extra virgin olive oil
- White wine
- Lemon
- Veggies – Asparagus, cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, green olives, black olives, capers.
- Herbs and seasonings – Fresh parsley, fresh thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, red chili flakes.
Easy Fish en Papillote Recipe
Tear off four pieces of parchment paper at least 12 inches on each side. On one half of each sheet, lay 6 asparagus, topped by fish. Place the garlic, herbs and capers on top of the fish.
Arrange the veggies around the fish, then drizzle olive oil and wine all over everything. Top the fish with a slice of lemon.
Fold the parchment paper over, the, tightly wrap and seal each side. Make sure to wrap up, rather than down, to avoid liquid leaking out.
Place the packets on a baking sheet, and bake in an oven preheated to 425°F for 12-15 minutes, or until fish is fully cooked and flakes easily with a fork.
Variations
- Sometimes we like a sprinkle of feta or parmesan cheese as a garnish after cooking.
- If using salmon, replace the thyme with dill. Or go with an Asian theme.
- Add other veggies like green beans, zucchini, bell peppers or mushrooms.
- Try different seasonings. It’s great with Creole Seasoning, or if you like it spicy, Jerk Seasoning.
- For a richer dish, you can replace the olive oil with butter.
Serving Suggestions
Fish en Papillote can go with a variety of side dishes. Here are some of our favorite pairings:
Salads: Caesar Salad, Wedge Salad, Greek Salad, or Spanish Pipirrana.
Starchy sides: Mashed Potatoes, Mediterranean Pasta, Greek Lemon Rice, Sweet Potato Fries, or Saffron Rice.
Veggie Sides: This dish has plenty of veggie power, but if you want to add to it, try Roasted Broccoli or Ratatuoille.
Leftovers and Storage
We prefer to eat our seafood the day it is cooked. That being said, you can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheat on stovetop over medium heat, or in the microwave.
You can also make the fish packets ahead of time the same day you are cooking it. So if you’re serving it to company, all you have to do is stick it in the oven when the guests arrive.
Cook up this fancy sounding, yet easy to make, fish recipe. We think you’ll love the delicate, yet vibrant flavors. It’s great for company, yet easy enough for a weeknight dinner!
Fish en Papillote, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great white fish recipes!
Mediterranean Fish with Tapenade
Southern Fried Fish
Bahamian Boiled Fish
Baja Fish Tacos
Brazilian Moqueca
Psari Plaki
Fish en Papillote
This Fish en Papillote recipe may sound fancy, but it's super easy to make with bright Mediterranean inspired flavors.
Ingredients
- 4 6oz portions white fish (see note 1)
- 24 asparagus
- 1 yellow squash, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 12 black olives
- 12 green olives
- 24 capers
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white wine
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Tear off four pieces of parchment paper at least 12 inches on each side. One one half of each sheet, lay 6 asparagus, topped by fish. Place the garlic, herbs and capers on top of the fish.
- Arrange the veggies around the fish, then drizzle olive oil and wine all over everything. Top the fish with a slice of lemon.
- Fold the parchment paper over, the tightly wrap and seal each side. Make sure to wrap up, rather than down, to avoid liquid leaking out.
- Place the packets on a baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until fish is fully cooked and flakes easily with a fork.
Notes
- We used cod in this recipe. Other good choices are halibut, haddock, grouper or snapper.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 488Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 131mgSodium 1697mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 7gSugar 6gProtein 47g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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