Fish en Papillote (Fish in a Bag)

Fish en Papillote (Fish in a Bag)

Recipe video above. Fish En Papillote - fondly known as "Fish in a Bag" - is a classic French way of baking fish sealed in its own little parcel, where it gently steams and soaks up all the flavours tucked inside. Add a handful of garden vegetables and a splash of white wine that turns into a lovely light sauce, and you’ve got yourself a full dinner.

I've used snapper here, but you can use any similar sized white fish fillets (see Note 1).

Also, using paper only for the parcels might be traditional, but adding foil makes it much easier to seal and ensure it stays sealed in the oven.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Fish, Main Course, Mains

Cuisine: French, Provencial french, Western

Keyword: baked fish, fish en papillote, fish in a bag, fish in paper, fish parcel, steamed fish

Servings:

Calories: 482cal

Author: Chef JB (RecipeTin)

Ingredients

160g / 5.6oz x 2 snapper fillets , skin off, pin boned (or other fish fillets, see Note 1)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , separated
200g / 7oz kipfler potatoes (fingerling potatoes) , peeled and sliced 0.5cm / 0.2" thick - 2 medium (or baby potatoes)
1 zucchini , sliced 0.5cm / 0.2" thick
1 red capsicum (bell pepper) , cut in half, cored then sliced 0.5cm / 0.2" thick
1/2 red onion , cut into wedges 0.3cm / 0.1" thick
1 garlic clove , finely minced
3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt , separated (half for table salt, 50% extra for flakes)
1/4 tsp black pepper , separated
6 dill sprigs (Note 2)
2 tbsp chardonnay or other dry white wine , (sub low-sodium vegetable stock/broth) (Note 3)

Serving:

Lemon wedges

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Abbreviated Recipe

Pre-heat oven to 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan). Sauté potatoes for 4 min, then add remaining vegetables, salt, pepper and toss briefly. Divide vegetables between parcels, top with seasoned fish, dill, oil and wine. Seal the parcels and bake 18 min, then rest 3 min before opening.

Full Recipe

Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan-forced).
Cook potato - Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring regularly (use 2 wooden spoons if needed). They should pick up a little colour but not too much.
Cook the rest of vegetables - Add the zucchini, capsicum, red onion, garlic and half of the salt and pepper. Toss everything together for about 1 minute, then set aside.
Place two pieces of foil on your work surface (50cm / 20" long x 30cm / 12" wide), then top with a sheet of baking paper/parchment paper (40cm / 16" x 30cm / 12"). Divide the vegetables between the two, placing them in the middle. (Note 4)
Fish - Pat the snapper fillets dry, season both side with the remaining salt and pepper, then place on top of the vegetables.
Place 3 dill sprigs on top of each fish. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and pour 1 tbsp of white wine over each.
Build the parcels (video is helpful here) - Bring the short edges of the foil and baking paper together and fold over twice to seal that side. Press down gently along the fold to flatten it. Then, working on one end, fold each corner in to form a triangle, then fold that triangle over twice more to lock in the seal. Repeat on the other end so both ends are sealed the same way. Redo the same with the other parcel.
Bake & rest - Place the parcels on a baking tray and cook for 18 minutes. Remove and let rest for 3 minutes. (Once cooked, the core fish temperature should read at least 55°C / 130°F.)
Serving - Grand opening time! Open the parcels, watch the steam escape, squeeze some lemon juice over and eat while hot with some crusty bread on the side.

Notes

1. Fish - Best made with white fish fillets around 1.5cm (0.6") thick, too thin and they'll overcook before the vegetables are ready, too thick and they won't be wide enough to nicely cover the vegetables.

I personally like snapper, mild, sweet, it will cook through evenly, but barramundi, blue eye cod, bream, John Dory, ocean perch and orange roughy (Nagi's favourite) all work beautifully too. In the US, look for Alaskan pollock, tilapia or mahi-mahi, and in the UK, hake, pollock, sea bass or turbot are great options. Salmon and ocean trout work fine flavour-wise, though they're not the prettiest once steamed.

Steer clear of fish that dry out quickly like swordfish, tuna or kingfish, and skip oily fish like sardines and mackerel too. Frozen fish works fine, thaw then pat dry well before using.

2. Dill - Fresh dill is a great pairing here, its aniseedy freshness infusing through the fish and vegetables as they steam together. Fresh tarragon makes a good substitute if you can get it. If you're without either, fresh fennel shavings tossed through the vegetables before cooking bring a similar character, or failing that, crushed 1/4 teaspoon of fennel seeds and scatter it over the fish and vegetables right before sealing the parcel.

3. Wine - I like a chardonnay here, it's the white wine I always use for cooking since my restaurant days. No need for anything fancy though, a cheap bottle works just as well. Keep the good stuff for drinking alongside dinner.

If you’d rather skip the alcohol, swap it for a non-alcoholic wine or low-sodium vegetable stock/broth.

4. Using foil - Traditionally "en papillote" uses just baking paper, but I like adding a layer of foil underneath. It holds the parcel's shape much better once it's sealed and sitting on the tray, and gives you a sturdier fold that's less likely to spring open or tear as it puffs up with steam. The paper still does the important job of keeping the fish and vegetables from sitting directly against the foil.

Leftovers and storage - Best enjoyed fresh, straight out of the oven, while the fish is tender and the vegetables still have a bit of bite. If you do have leftovers, they'll keep in the fridge for up to two days, gently reheat in a low oven or covered in the microwave. Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition