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Halibut: Halibut in Parchment Paper

Source of Recipe

From "Back Around the Table" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"En papillote is a method of steaming meat, fish, vegetables, and herbs inside a sealed parchment paper package. During baking, the parchment paper browns and puffs up. The best part is the presentation. Each person gets his or her own package, and when the paper is cut open with scissors, fragrant puffs of steam are released and everything inside is cooked to perfection."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Vegetable oil spray
â—¦ 4 (6- to 8-ounce) ¾-inch-thick halibut, cod, or scrod fillets
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 2 lemons, sliced into â…›-inch half-moons
â—¦ ½ small carrot, cut into 2-inch thin strips
â—¦ ½ leek (dark green top removed), cut into 2-inch thin strips
â—¦ ½ yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-inch thin strips
â—¦ 8 small tarragon sprigs
â—¦ 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
â—¦ 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ ¼ cup dry white wine


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut 4 pieces of parchment into rectangles approximately 12 x 18 inches. Fold the parchment sheets in half the long way. Using scissors, cut the largest half of a heart possible out of each sheet. Open each heart and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray on one side of each heart.

Lightly season each piece of fish with salt and pepper. Place one piece of fish on the oiled side of each heart. There should be about a 1-inch border on all sides. On top of each fish piece, shingle 5 or 6 lemon slices, 5 or 6 carrot strips, 4 or 5 leek strips, 4 or 5 bell pepper strips, and 2 tarragon sprigs. Divide the parsley among the four pieces of fish. Dot ½ tablespoon butter on top of each piece. Drizzle 1 tablespoon white wine over each piece. Drizzle 1 tablespoon white wine over each piece. Fold over the opposite side of the heart and twist or roll the edges together to seal. Make sure all the edges are sealed well. At the bottom point of the heart, fold the edge under to keep the parchment from coming open while cooking.

Place the packages on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Place each parchment package on a dinner plate. Once everyone is at the table, use a scissors to cut a hole in each package to let the steam escape.

Makes 4 servings