If you have fear of cooking fish, well, so do I. It goes from just right to overcooked so fast! And a piece of overcooked fish is a sorrow, small but real. (I always think, morosely, "A fish died for this!") So more good news: Fish cooked in parchment paper is as dummy-proof as it gets. The two variations here -- one with potatoes and one with asparagus -- have cooking times that vary by 5 minutes. (Potatoes, even parboiled ones, take longer to cook than asparagus.)
In the non-en-papillote world, cooking fish for five more minutes can be ruinous. Don't even worry about it! That fish is crimped snugly into its packet, all steamy-nice with butter and wine and lemon, plus herby-garlicky parsley sauce. The steaminess can't get out, so there's no danger of the fish drying out.
If you encounter trouble with folding and crimping closed the papers' edges, just use a paper clip at any questionable spots. Then, you and your dining companion each get your own wrapped-up present of a supper. Serve with some baguette for sopping up the extra lemony-winey-buttery sauce, or just tilt your plate until it pools in one side of the packet and use a spoon. And when life gives you lemon slices this good, you should eat them.
Any kind of white fish works, but if it looks nice and fresh, I'm partial to rockfish, aka Pacific snapper -- it's firm but luxurious, and performs like a much pricier fish when cooked en papillote. If you're making it with potatoes, Yukon Gold are good, but really, any kind is fine. And note that if you are using potatoes, that requires a little ahead-of-time prep.
Fish en Papillote With Potatoes or Asparagus and Parsley Sauce
1 medium potato OR 1 bunch asparagus, rinsed and ends trimmed
1 clove garlic
1 cup loosely packed parsley leaves (no large stems)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Butter
Kosher salt and ground pepper
2 (4- to 6-ounce) fish filets such as rockfish, cod, flounder or any white fish
4 thin slices of lemon
2 tablespoons white wine
If using potatoes, a couple hours (or a day or two) ahead of time, parboil one medium potato: Wash it thoroughly, and bring enough water to amply cover it to a boil. Add potato carefully, reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water, and put uncovered in a bowl in the fridge to cool before slicing. Once cool, slice potatoes into very thin rounds.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mince garlic and chop parsley finely, and add to small bowl. Add salt, and stir to combine. Drizzle in olive oil slowly while stirring thoroughly with a fork. (You also could use a food processor or immersion blender.)
Tear off two large squares of parchment paper, and crease them on the diagonal. On one diagonal half of each square, near the crease, arrange a slightly-larger-than-fish-filet-shaped layer of potatoes barely overlapping, or a slightly-larger-than-fish-filet-shaped raft of asparagus. Put one pat of butter atop the potatoes or asparagus, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the fish filets atop the potato or asparagus layer; sprinkle with salt and pepper, then top each filet with two slices of lemon and half the parsley sauce. Pour 1 tablespoon of wine over each filet.
Fold the parchment paper over diagonally, then fold and crimp the open sides tightly around the fish and vegetable arrangement to create a half-moon-ish shape. You want to create a good seal; if any spots seem like they might let the steam out, use un-coated metal paper clips to secure them.
Bake 20 minutes for potatoes or 15 minutes for asparagus.
Slide each packet onto a large plate, then slit the top with a sharp knife and serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings.
Food on 04/11/2018