What a wonderful summer meal - Herb-Roasted Fish. Here in the Hamptons, we have fabulous farm stands everywhere and many now offer local fresh fish as well. Large coolers with life tops hold Fluke, Salmon, Halibut, Scallops (in season), and even lobsters.
Fluke is a lovely mild flavored white fish that resembles flounder in size and shape. This recipe for Herb-Roasted Fish is full of flavor and can be made ahead. Parchment paper "pockets" seal the flavors in and make this appear to be a fancy meal but it's really very simple. The French call that "en papillote" (in parchment). I've found the biggest challenge is to keep the olive oil and lemon juice from running out of the "pocket" as I'm sealing it shut with the egg white wash. Practice makes perfect and I now make this almost weekly, especially when we can get fluke. Try it. This is a real winner.
Herb-Roasted Fish
(Serves 4)
4 (12 x 16-inch) pieces of parchment paper
4 (8-ounce) boneless skin-on fish fillets, such as snapper or cod or fluke
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons good olive oil
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
8 sprigs of thyme
8 Cerignola or other large green olives with pits
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
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- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the pieces of parchment paper on a flat surface, fold them in half crosswise, and cut each piece like a large paper heart cutout. Open the fold flat and place each fillet lengthwise just to the right of the fold.
- On each fillet, sprinkle ¼ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 2 sprigs of thyme, and place 2 olives alongside the fish.
- Brush the edges of the entire parchment paper with the egg whites. Fold the left side of the parchment paper over the right side so the edges line up, creating a packet. Press the edges to create a seal. Starting at the edge at the top of the heart, make overlapping folds in the parchment, until you reach the "tail" of the heart. Fold the last end underneath to seal the packet.
- TIPS:
1) Assemble each packet separately; do not try to do all four in an assembly line.
2) Combine the salt and pepper for each packet in small ramekins. Stop to mix well.
3) When preparing the first packet, sprinkle the fish with the salt and pepper, add the two olives and top the fish with two sprigs of thyme, THEN add the fluids.
4) Combine the tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice in individual small measuring cups before adding them to each fish. This makes assembly faster which is important because the oil and juice really spread out and follow gravity.
5) Paint the edges of the paper with the beaten egg whites before adding the oil and juice which does two things, first, it stops the paper from curling up on itself, and second, it allows quick closure of the packet after the fluids have been added. - Place all the packets on sheets pans, making sure the oil and lemon juice don't run out when you transfer them.
- Bake for 15 minutes exactly.
- Place each packet on a dinner plate, cut an X in the middle with scissors, and serve hot, allowing each person to tear open the packet.
NOTE: You can prepare the packages and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Thanks once again to Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa for her last cookbook Make It Ahead.
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