Fish en Papillote
Serves 4
My favorite nostalgic dish from culinary school is Fish en Papillote. I had never made this before and it became one of my favorites to make with my family. The “en papillote” means “in paper” where the fish and your customizable ingredients are enclosed in parchment paper and then baked. This is a great dish to be served tableside–plus, it will impress your guest at a dinner party. I added a beurre blanc sauce to my fish for added richness and brightness. I hope you get in the kitchen with your family and friends and make this flavorful dish. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 (½ lb) arctic char (the one I used in my video), salmon, halibut, or sole (really any fish that’s your favorite)
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1 medium leek, julienned
- 8 sprigs of thyme
- 2 Tablespoon of olive oil
- ¼ cup of white wine
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Ingredients for Beurre Blanc Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of shallots, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup of white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon of white wine (my favorite to use is Sancerre)
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- Kosher salt
Directions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- 2. In a small bowl, add carrots and leeks and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- 3. Add the fish to your parchment paper (cut out into a heart shape). Season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining olive oil to each fish. Arrange the carrots, leeks, and 2 sprigs of thyme evenly among the fish. Add 1 tablespoon of white wine to each fish.
- 4. Fold your parchment paper around the edges tightly in order to prevent steam from being released. The end result looks like a half-moon shape.
- 5. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish.
- 6. Let rest for 2 minutes. Cut open the parchment with kitchen shears and place on the plate to serve at the table side.
- 7. Add the beurre blanc sauce on top of the fish. Enjoy!
Directions for Beurre Blanc Sauce
- 1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add shallots, vinegar, wine, and bay leaf.
- 2. Cook at a simmer until almost dry (about 1 Tablespoon of liquid remaining).
- 3. Remove from the heat, add butter in batches while whisking constantly. Once melted, continue adding butter in batches until all the butter has been melted into the sauce.
- 4. Adjust seasoning with salt.
- 5. Serve right away or keep warm until ready to serve. You can place the sauce in a warm water bath. Stirring occasionally. If the sauce starts to look too thick, you can add 1 tablespoon of water. If the sauce becomes broken (it looks shiny and greasy and not creamy and thick), you can also add 1 tablespoon of water. Enjoy!