Poisson en Papillote Façon Grand-Mère
Poisson en Papillote Façon Grand-Mère·(pwah-sohn on pah-pee-yoht fah-sohn grahn-mair)
La Popote: Everyday French Weeknight Dinners
Layer supermarket cod with sliced leeks, fold the baking paper over, and crimp the edges into a tight seal. It's a foolproof, reliable way to get a meal on the table on a busy Tuesday. By wrapping a good piece of fish in parchment paper, you trap the steam, cooking the fillet gently while it creates its own rich, buttery white-wine sauce right inside the pouch. Slide the tray into the oven for twelve minutes, wait for the parchment to puff, and carry the whole sealed package directly to the table.
Before you start
Bring the fish to room temperature.
Take your fish fillets out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking so the cold proteins don't violently seize up and squeeze out all their moisture in the hot oven.
Preheat the oven.
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Season the vegetables.
Toss your cut carrot, zucchini, and shallot together in a bowl with a small pinch of salt.
Ingredients
- extra-virgin olive oil1 tbsp
- carrot1 large
- zucchini1 med
- shallot1 large
- white fish fillets24 oz
- kosher salt and black pepper1 tsp
- lemon1 large
- fresh thyme4 sprigs
- dry white wine4 tbsp
- unsalted butter4 tbsp
Method
- 01
Oil the parchment paper.
Lay out four 12x15-inch sheets of parchment paper on your counter, drop a little olive oil in the center of each, and rub it around to keep the vegetables from sticking.
- 02
Build the vegetable foundation.
Divide your julienned carrots, zucchini, and shallots evenly, placing a small mound in the center of each sheet.
- 03
Season and assemble the fish.
Generously season both sides of the fish fillets with salt and pepper, lay one fillet on each vegetable mound, and top with two lemon slices, a sprig of thyme, and a knob of butter.
- 04
Add the wine.
Carefully spoon one tablespoon of white wine over the top of each fillet.
- 05
Seal the papillote tightly.
Bring the two long sides of the parchment together above the fish, fold them down in tight, half-inch creases until snug against the ingredients, then twist the open ends and tuck them underneath the weight of the fish so no steam can escape.
- 06
Bake until puffed.
Place the sealed packets on a large baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the parchment puffs up like a hot air balloon.
- 07
Serve immediately in the pouch.
Transfer the sealed packets directly to individual dinner plates so everyone can open their own packet at the table and get hit with that incredible rush of wine, butter, and thyme-scented steam.
Notes
Use parchment, never foil.
Acidic ingredients like lemon and white wine will react with aluminum foil, breaking it down and leaching a metallic taste into your dinner.
Cut the vegetables thin.
You only have 15 minutes of steam heat to work with; if you chop the carrots and zucchini too thick, they will still be raw when the fish is perfectly cooked.
Wine substitution.
If you prefer not to cook with wine, substitute one tablespoon of vegetable broth and an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice per packet.
From Cook French in America.