Fish En Papillote

** I originally posted this recipe in July of 2008 but I’m republishing it today with a few notes added. **

I love fish, but it can be tricky to cook — so easily overcooked — and it cools down quickly. Cooking fish en papillote solves both of these problems.

If you’ve never given it a go, rest assured it is a nearly foolproof way of cooking fish and super easy, too: I added a video above of the parchment paper folding method, and if you want more video guidance, I recently made fish en papillote on Instagram Stories .

The Beauty of Cooking Fish En Papillote

1. Heat Retention . When cooked en papillote, a fish fillet retains its heat remarkably well. These packages somehow manage to keep the fish fillets hot without drying them out one bit.
2. Ability to Make Ahead. The packets can be prepared ahead of time — perfect for entertaining. Note: Because of the lemon juice and the salt, these packets should not be assembled for more than two or three hours ahead of time.
3. Versatility . Fill the packages with whatever you like: squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, scallions, herbs, etc. Be sure to slice vegetables thinly to ensure they cook during the 10 minutes of oven time. Use any number of fish — branzino, trout, striped bass, red snapper are all good options. A good rule of them is: 10 minutes at 500ºF for every 1/2-inch of filet thickness.
4. Healthy . You can load these packages with vegetables, and season everything lightly with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. The package keeps all of the juices released by the fish and vegetables inside, creating a steaming hot, tender, flaky package of goodness.
5. Fast. These little parcels are quick to assemble and are nearly one-pouch wonders.
6. Foolproof : I am always amazed by how well fish cooks when given the en papillote treatment — it’s never overcooked.

Note: I should have sliced the asparagus much more thinly or used my peeler to shave the spears. I’ve used finely slivered snow peas with success, too.

From July 2008

Description

What’s nice about these packages is that you can assemble them ahead of time. Note: Because of the salt and lemon, I wouldn’t assemble much more than 2 hours ahead of time.

Use the recipe below as a guide. I always include: some sort of green like Swiss chard or spinach, shallots, olives, capers, olive oil, lemon, white wine, salt, and pepper. Vegetables change depending on the season: cherry tomatoes are nice as is summer squash. Be sure to cut vegetables thinly to ensure they cook properly. If you include asparagus, I recommend shaving it with a peeler as opposed to slicing it (as I did in this Instagram Story. )

• 4 18×13-inch (approximately) pieces parchment paper
• about 16 leaves Swiss chard or Spinach, washed and dried
• 4 6-oz fish fillets of white fish such as Bronzino or Striped Bass
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 to 3 lemons: you’ll need 12 thin slices, plus more for squeezing
• ½ cup Nicoise or Kalamata olives, pitted, optional
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, optional
• 1 cup sliced zucchini, optional
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons white wine or Prosecco
• sliced basil, parsley or tarragon, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 500ºF.
2. Lay one sheet of parchment paper on the counter and fold it in half lengthwise just to make a crease. Open the parchment paper. Place about four leaves of Swiss chard or spinach in the center of the parchment paper just below the centerfold. Top with fish fillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with about a tablespoon of shallots and 1.5 teaspoons capers. Squeeze some lemon over the fish. Nestle three slices of lemon on the sides of the fish. Sprinkle some olives, tomatoes, and zucchini (if using) around the fish. Top with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon white wine.
3. Fold top half of paper over bottom half and begin folding tightly from the center to one of the sides. Go back to the center and fold tightly in the opposite direction. (See video for more assistance.)
4. Repeat with each fish. Place packages on a cookie sheet and cook for 10 minutes. (Estimate about 10 minutes per inch — if the fillets are a little bit thicker than one inch, add 1 or 2 minutes.)

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Fish
• Method: En Papillote
• Cuisine: French

Description

What’s nice about these packages is that you can assemble them ahead of time. Note: Because of the salt and lemon, I wouldn’t assemble much more than 2 hours ahead of time.

Use the recipe below as a guide. I always include: some sort of green like Swiss chard or spinach, shallots, olives, capers, olive oil, lemon, white wine, salt, and pepper. Vegetables change depending on the season: cherry tomatoes are nice as is summer squash. Be sure to cut vegetables thinly to ensure they cook properly. If you include asparagus, I recommend shaving it with a peeler as opposed to slicing it (as I did in this Instagram Story. )

• 4 18×13-inch (approximately) pieces parchment paper
• about 16 leaves Swiss chard or Spinach, washed and dried
• 4 6-oz fish fillets of white fish such as Bronzino or Striped Bass
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 to 3 lemons: you’ll need 12 thin slices, plus more for squeezing
• ½ cup Nicoise or Kalamata olives, pitted, optional
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, optional
• 1 cup sliced zucchini, optional
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons white wine or Prosecco
• sliced basil, parsley or tarragon, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 500ºF.
2. Lay one sheet of parchment paper on the counter and fold it in half lengthwise just to make a crease. Open the parchment paper. Place about four leaves of Swiss chard or spinach in the center of the parchment paper just below the centerfold. Top with fish fillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with about a tablespoon of shallots and 1.5 teaspoons capers. Squeeze some lemon over the fish. Nestle three slices of lemon on the sides of the fish. Sprinkle some olives, tomatoes, and zucchini (if using) around the fish. Top with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon white wine.
3. Fold top half of paper over bottom half and begin folding tightly from the center to one of the sides. Go back to the center and fold tightly in the opposite direction. (See video for more assistance.)
4. Repeat with each fish. Place packages on a cookie sheet and cook for 10 minutes. (Estimate about 10 minutes per inch — if the fillets are a little bit thicker than one inch, add 1 or 2 minutes.)

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Fish
• Method: En Papillote
• Cuisine: French

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2019/06/21/fish-en-papillote/

Kate Shultz, of the Dinner Sisters podcast , recently asked me if there were any recipes in Bread Toast Crumbs I wished had gotten a little more love. These vinaigrette toasts with soft-boiled eggs immediately came to mind. I’m not sure I’ve heard from anyone who has made them — maybe no one has! — but I’m hoping this post might encourage someone to give them a go.

In short, you soak slices of bread in both olive oil AND vinegar before toasting them in a skillet and finishing them in the oven. While the slices of bread bronze away, you boil some eggs, and, if you’re up for it, dress some greens to serve on the side. It’s fast and tasty and feels complete.

Friends, have you ever soaked your bread in both olive oil and vinegar before toasting it? Every time I do I think: Why don’t we always soak bread in both oil and vinegar before toasting? The vinegar adds a subtle sweetness and sharpness, and the slices of bread toast so beautifully. I hope you love them as much as I do.

The Dinner Sisters Podcast

Two sisters, Kate Shultz and Betsy Wallace, believe in “less stress, better food,” and every Monday on their podcast, The Dinner Sisters , they review easy-to-make recipes they’ve unearthed from food blogs around the web.

Their goal? To find and share recipes that might make it into their regular dinner rotations. For instance, they raved about the orecchiette with corn, greens, and ricotta in this Easy Cooking Summer episode and the bbq chicken naan pizza in this Rotisserie Chicken episode. I’m dying to make both.

Friends, do you listen to The Dinner Sisters? They’re really fun. Every ten episodes they throw a podcast “dinner party” and cook up a full party menu, including dessert. In their mini-episode series, “Pro Tips,” they quickly cover topics such as roasting chickens or meal planning or their favorite freezer jam.

And they also occasionally review cookbooks, like Bread Toast Crumbs . After their review, Kate and I chat about early baking memories, these vinaigrette toasts, future projects, sourdough, and more. You can check out their full archives here . Let me know if you discover any gems!

Here’s the vinaigrette toast play-by-play. Slice up a loaf of bread (more on this sourdough loaf soon):

Whisk together 3 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a baking dish.

Soak your bread slices for one minute per side.

Toast the slices of bread in an oven-safe skillet.

Transfer toast to a plate.

Top each with a soft-boiled egg (6 minutes for super runny yolks).

Cut each egg in half.

Season with salt and pepper.

Description

From Bread Toast Crumbs

With a simple salad on the side (greens + shallot vinaigrette ), these toasts become a meal — a nice brunch or a light supper.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic (or other) vinegar
• 4 slices good bread , ¾-inch thick
• 4 eggs
• sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. In a 9×13-inch (or similar) baking dish, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the vinegar. Lay the slices of bread in the pan, let them sit for one minute, then flip and let them sit for another minute or until the oil and vinegar are absorbed.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat. When it shimmers, carefully lower the bread into pan — adjust heat so that toasts cook on medium to medium-low … err on the side of cooking the toasts more slowly than quickly. Cook, checking occasionally, until the underside of the bread is golden, about 5 minutes. Flip the slices and immediately transfer the pan to the oven for five minutes or until the slices are evenly golden.
3. Meanwhile, carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water and reduce the heat to low so that the water is gently simmering. Cook for 6 minutes, or according to your preference — 6 minutes is for runny yolks as pictured above. Remove the eggs with slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of cold water.
4. To serve, set toast on individual plates or a serving platter. Peel eggs and place one on top of each piece of toast. Cut each in half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Stovetop/Oven
• Cuisine: American