Sunday, January 31, 2010

Second Helping: Rockfish en Papillote

It is such a charming dish that even people who are not really into fish will probably give it a try. Last time I had something that came wrapped in a parcel was a long time ago.  Kids were not there, not even in my dreams. Fish was covered with shrimps and exotic veggies inside a folded banana leaf. A wonderful buttery sauce was all over the packet and dinner was at one of the restaurants of Búzios, in the southeast coast of Brazil.
Here, far away from the tropics, I was somehow reminded of that picture after buying some Beyond Green unbleached parchment paper.
Fish was already in the fridge, vegetables were there, and parcels were prepared for a quick Thursday dinner. Fascinated by the presentation, kids ate most of it. Now it will be an option for Valentine's dinner, when parcels will have even a more flavorful fish, such as Halibut. And the tropics will be here.

Pacific Rockfish en Papillote

Any white meat fish will do well for this recipe, as far as it is one chosen from the list available online from Seafood Watch. I always carry my pocket guide everywhere so not to be doubtful of what to do when shopping.

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
4 fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced
4 rockfish fillets
4 slices portabella mushroom
1/4 tomato, cut in halves
Spring onion, cut in long sticks
Kosher or sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Olive oil to drizzle over layers
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Cut parchment paper in 4 equal parts, enough to wrap the fish towers. Layer 6 circles of zucchini on the bottom, topped with 4 slices of potatoes, and then fish. Finish with slice of portabella, tomato half-moon, and spring onion. Season each layer with a bit of salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil. Fold and close parcels loosely. Bake for 15- 20  minutes, depending on how you like your fish done.

5 comments:

  1. What a winner! I'm pretty sure my kids would be delighted by the novelty as well.

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  2. That sounds like a delicious recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  3. I cooked this recipe using brazilian fish and vegetables and it was a complete success! All my family loved it a lot, and the cats were really interested in the delicious smell too.

    I heartily recommend this dish.

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  4. I finally made this tonight and the reviews were mixed. The kids LOVED it at first, but their enthusiasm fizzled out. I was one happy customer though. Wicked easy and yummy! I'll try it out on 'em again in a few months and eventually they'll learn to love it.

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  5. Cindy, thank you so much for your review! I am glad you enjoyed it and had an idea of how to allure the kids: along with olive oil, perhaps some butter (real thing) will do the trick. Who can't resist to the delicious buttery comfort?

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