Impress Your Guests with Fish & Paper!

Welcome back to Free Recipe Friday.
This week we are going to kick it up a notch.
Well, at least your guests will think you have.
It's fish, it's vegetables, it's healthy, it's delicious

and. . . . it's easy!  It really is.
It's a great meal done in your oven, the grill or the campfire.

It may look all froofy and fancy,

but it's all an illusion ;)

It's technical name is Fish en Papillote

(fish in parchment), so go ahead, impress your friends with that!

 Fish cooked en papillote is wrapped in parchment paper 

 and baked in a medium oven so it gently steams in its own juices.

  You may substitute aluminum foil for the paper, 

but Martha Stewart says if you do so, avoid using acidic ingredients 

like lemons, tomatoes, and white wine, 

which will react with the foil and cause an unpleasant taste. 

When the fish is done, the parchment will puff dramatically 

(if you use foil, the fish will cook more quickly 

and the foil will not puff up, so check it early).

There are tons of recipes out there suggesting

many different concoctions for your paper or foil packet.

Use whatever you have on hand, search the internet or get creative.

It's a wonderfully easy and healthy way to enjoy your fish.

This meal can easily be made for two or ten.
Just make enough for the amount of guests you have.
Or just make it for yourself!!!
We fed three, so we made three packets.

WHAT YOU OFFICIALLY NEED:
Fish - any kind and any quantity
Veggies - any of your fresh fav's,
about two cups of veggies per serving
Butter
Seasonings - salt, pepper, garlic, etc.
Parchment Paper or Aluminum Foil 


We have used tilapia and flounder.
For our vegetables, we have used
the frozen veggie mix of cauliflower, broccoli and carrots.
Recently, we used baby pearl onions, zucchini
and an assortment of baby new potatoes.  
Would have been great with mushrooms as well.
The next time we make these, I'd like to try olives and artichokes!
The sky is really the limit - and with fresh summer garden veggies
on the verge of abundance, get creative!

WHAT TO DO:
Preheat your oven to 350.
Tear off sheets of parchment paper in 18 inch increments.
One sheet per serving.
Fold paper in half and cut an easy heart shape in the paper,
like you did in grade school, using the whole width 
of the paper.  Open heart up and brush the paper
with melted butter.  If you are using aluminum foil,
tear off 12-14 inch squares that will be folded up into pouches.


Lay your fish on your paper and season a bit.
Next, lay your assorted veggies on top of your fish,
some seasoning. . . and a slice or two of butter is also great.
Now fold up your pouches for baking.
The edges of the parchment paper
need to be folded over several times to seal the packet.
It is okay if your pouches have plenty of space
around the fish and veggies - - -
you want to leave plenty of room for them to breathe.
Place packets on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. 
Bake for appx. 30 minutes.
Cooking times will vary depending on your choice of veggies.

Enjoy your Fish en Papillote!

See you next week!