Fish and Vegetables En Papillote (Fish in Parchment)

Fish En Papillote is a stunning way to prepare fish and vegetables baked in parchment paper that infuses so much flavor into all the ingredients. It’s beautiful, so delicious and very simple to prepare.

Healthy, easy and tasty are my prerequisites for a perfect meal and this fish en papillote is exactly that. I love that you can bake the fish and the vegetables together, you can prep it in advance and it’s such a gorgeous presentation too.

As the fish and vegetables steam together in their paper shell, all the flavors get really concentrated and the fish stays moist and juicy. It’s also awesome to have both the fish and the vegetables cook at the same time. I love the generous portion of vegetables; it is enough food to make this meal complete. Of course, you can serve it alongside rice, mashed potatoes or couscous, but they are really easy to make too, and you can do that while the fish is in the oven.

A fun way to serve this dinner is to place the parchment packet on each dinner plate and have your family or guests open their packets themselves. Not only is it bold and entertaining, but as they open the packets, they will get a really good waft of incredible aroma, and that will boost their appetite even more. 

What is En Papillote?

“En papillote” is French for “in parchment.” I love using this method for fish. Fuss free, beautiful presentation, divine flavors. It’s a winner on all counts. As the food bakes in the oven, all the flavors are trapped inside the parchment, perfuming the whole dish and creates steam, which cooks each component perfectly.

Ingredients:

• boneless, skinless fish fillets
  • most of the time I use cod or salmon, but you can use many other fish, such as swai, tilapia, haddock, etc.)
• shallots or onion
  • shallots are more mild and cook through faster, so I prefer to use shallots, but red or yellow onion will work too.
• garlic
• zucchini
• carrot
• celery
• bell pepper
• lemon zest and juice
• olive oil
• fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, green onions, cilantro, etc.
• salt, ground black pepper
• butter

Parchment For Baking

I love these convenient parchment baking bags*. They are already assembled and so easy to use. I use them for roasting beets too:).

You can also use regular sheets of parchment paper too, of course. Place the fish and veggies on one side of the parchment, fold over the parchment paper over the fish. Starting at one end, fold the parchment paper into creases, and working your way around, keep folding the parchment paper into pleats, slightly overlapping the creases to make sure you have a very tight seal.

• Parchment Cooking Bags*
• Parchment Paper Sheets*

• These are affiliate links. This is not a sponsored post, but the links are affiliate links.

How To Make Fish En Papillote

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. First, prepare all the vegetables by cutting them into thin matchsticks.
   • It’s very important to cut the vegetables very thinly. If the vegetables are too large, they will not get a chance to cook through in the short amount of time that it takes the fish to cook.
3. Season the fish fillets with lemon zest of half the lemon, half the garlic, fresh herbs, olive oil and salt and pepper. Rub it evenly on all sides.
4. Next, mix all the vegetables together in a large bowl with the other half of the garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, fresh herbs, and season them with salt and pepper. 
5. Finally, assemble the parchment bags.
   • Place 1/4 of the vegetables into the parchment bag and place 1 fish fillet on top of the veggies. Place a pat of butter on top of the fish.
   • Staple the ends of the parchment paper bag shut, removing as much air as possible and folding over the edges of the paper.
   • Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, to create 4 packets.
6. Place the packets onto a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven.
7. Use an instant read thermometer to check the doneness of the fish. Obviously, I only check one of the packets, so I keep the rest intact and in perfect presentation mode:).
   • For cod, I cook it until it reaches 140 F. It will continue cooking even after you take it out of the oven and should reach 145 F before you serve it.
   • For salmon, it depends on how you like to cook it. I like salmon to be almost fully cooked, so I cook it until it reaches 130-135 F. If you like yours more rare, cook it a bit less.
   • Of course, if you don’t have a thermometer, you can open the packet to check on the fish. It should easily flake.

How to Serve Fish in Parchment

To serve, cut open the packets and take out the fish and vegetables with a spatula, or have each person open the packet themselves at the table. Squeeze more fresh lemon juice on the fish.

You can serve the fish and veggies just like that, with nothing else, but if you’d like, you can also make some fluffy mashed potatoes, Zucchini Couscous or a simple serving of rice.

Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

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