If you’ve never tried cooking fish in a parchment pack (or “en papillote” as a fancy chef would say), you’ve gotta do it! It may look intimidating, but I promise, it really doesn’t get much easier. It’s one of my favorite meals to make because the prep and cleanup is a breeze and it’s perfectly cooked every single time thanks to the steam that builds up in the packet! Plus, I always feel extra fancy when I serve it to guests and cut open the parchment pack right at the table… the steam dramatically comes up out of the pack and they’re left with this perfect meal right in front of them. They’d never guess you whipped up such a gourmet dinner in under 15 minutes.
How fresh and delicious does that look!? The great thing about cooking in a parchment pack is it’s pretty foolproof so you can really customize it however you’d like. Choose any fish you’d like, pick your veggies, and add your seasonings. If you prefer salmon and want to do it with an Asian flare, you could use bok choy, onions, snap peas, and bell peppers, top it with a salmon fillet, and add coconut aminos, sesame oil, garlic, and sesame seeds, wrap it up, bake it, and voila! Super easy no matter how you do it! I must say though, I really love the halibut, fennel, asparagus, lemon, and dill combo because it’s super light and refreshing. My ideal meal to have after an indulgent weekend (or after a day of cookie recipe-testing like I just had!).
Ingredients
2 wild halibut fillets (or swap for your favorite fish)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
2 cups spinach
1 fennel bulb, stalks removed and bulb
thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut in half
lengthwise
1 shallot, minced
1 lemon, sliced thinly
1 bunch fresh dill
2 cloves garlic, minced
Optional: 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
Serves 2.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut two large rectangular sheets of parchment paper.
- Place 1 cup of spinach on each sheet, slightly off center towards one side of the paper.
- Then add your asparagus spears to each sheet on top of the spinach. Next add the sliced fennel. Drizzle veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place your fish on top of each pile of veggies. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
- Top each fillet of fish with minced garlic and shallots, then add a couple lemon slices to each, and finally top with a couple sprigs of fresh dill (or any herb of your choice). Optional: add 1 tbsp grass-fed butter on top of each stack.
- Time to make the parchment pack! (Watch the video!) Fold the larger half of the parchment paper over the fish and veggies. Starting at one corner, tightly crimp the edges of the paper and work your way over to the other side. It should look like an empanada once it’s all folded up. Make sure the corners are tucked and sealed tightly.
- Transfer parchment packets to a sheet pan and bake for 12-15 minutes. The parchment packets should brown slightly and puff up a bit.
- Transfer each packet to a plate, then carefully cut open. Feel free to add fresh dill on top. Enjoy!
8. Transfer parchment packets to a sheet pan and bake for 12-15 minutes. The parchment packets should brown slightly and puff up a bit.
9. Transfer each packet to a plate, then carefully cut open. Feel free to add fresh dill on top. Enjoy!
I created this recipe during the September Back to Basics Challenge, and it was a huge hit within the group! Everyone reported back that they felt like a total gourmet chef when they made it but that it was shockingly easy to whip up. I figured since it was such a hit, I had to share it on the blog! Hope you love it!
Photography: Kristen Schellenberg
