Fish en papillote is essentially the fancy and impressive way to say “fish in a bag.” Impress your friends (or a very lucky date) with this parchment packet dinner, a complete meal, baked all together inside a neat little package. The package itself helps everything cook evenly and stay moist and flavorful, as the aromas of the ingredients mingle together inside their warm sleeping bag of deliciousness.
The best part about a parchment bag dinner is opening that wonderful package to reveal the masterpiece you’ve created. It’s like Christmas morning and your oven is Santa Clause. How did you know, oven, this is exactly what I wanted?
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
Total Time: 22-24 minutes
Servings: 1
Photo by Kristine Mahan
Ingredients:
1 4-oz. filet of cod or other white fish
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
½ lemon, thinly sliced
2 baby bok choy, washed and halved lengthwise
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons roasted unsalted sunflower seeds (shelled)
Photo by Kristine Mahan
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Cut a 12-inch square sheet of parchment paper into the shape of a heart, fold in half, unfold and then set aside.
Photo by Kristine Mahan
3. On a clean cutting board, season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Apply dijon mustard to the top of the fish and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the mustard.
Photo by Kristine Mahan
4. Place baby bok choy, washed and sliced lengthwise, in a neat pile on the right half of the folded heart, then place minced garlic, sliced shallots and salt and pepper to taste on top of bok choy.
5. Place fish on top of vegetables and top fish with lemon slices to cover.
6. Fold the left half of the parchment paper heart over the fish, and fold the edges together, working from top to bottom, to close the package, enclosing the food inside.
Photo by Kristine Mahan
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes until fish is cooked through (flaky and opaque-white).
8. When it’s time to dig in, carefully open parchment package to release steam, and top with sunflower seeds.
After you’ve eaten every last crumb and licked it clean, all you have to do is throw away the parchment paper. Clean up complete.
If you’re wondering how to stay on this healthy streak you’ve begun, here’s some help:
- How to Eat Healthy Frozen Meals
- Top Ten Staples For a Healthy Dorm Room Pantry
- Baked Salmon With Lemon