Cuisine – Pretty as a parcel

The other day I was rather puzzled by a friend telling me she loved fish but hated the smell that was left in the kitchen after she had cooked it. All I could think of was that she really wasn’t buying very fresh fish!

I always look for fish that gleams and, as it mostly appears in the serve-over section of the store, I am not hesitant in asking if I can smell it, too. That may seem a bit far-fetched, but I have never cooked a fish that leaves a lingering smell in my kitchen.

A lovely way to cook fish that retains moisture and becomes aromatic is to bake it in the oven in a paper parcel. Choose very fresh fish and then add herbs, spices and plenty of vegetables to the parcel and it takes a surprisingly short time to cook. Of course, it’s essential that the vegetables are cooked but this is easily done by steaming them before they go into the parcel.

Take care when making the parcels “en papillote” that the edges of the paper are tightly sealed so no juices escape. Tinfoil can also be used in place of baking paper but I prefer the look and lightness of paper for this easy way to cook fish. And it leaves few dishes to clean up afterwards.

My recipe today emphasises lightness and hopefully spring, but there are an infinite number of variations for this way of cooking. Another of my favourites is a more Italian theme, where you use cooked red onion, cherry tomatoes, lemon and lovely pitted sweet black olives with Italian parsley or basil. Very thin slices of chicken can also be cooked this way, with potatoes or cooked rice underneath and finely sliced mushrooms with thyme or rosemary on top. It is essential to ensure there’s plenty of olive oil, and a few added tablespoons of wine or good stock to keep everything moist.

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Snapper en papillote

Serves 2, but can be doubled

2 sheets baking paper about 35-40cm long
2 medium potatoes, finely sliced
6 baby carrots, peeled and trimmed
12 snow peas
1 tsp Moroccan spice mix
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
½ a bulb of fennel, finely sliced
1 orange, peeled and cut into thin segments
2x150g fillets firm white fish (snapper, John Dory, salmon or hoki)
Salt and pepper
Dill sprigs
Extra olive oil for drizzling

Set a pan of water to boil and place a steamer over the pan.

Preheat the oven to 175C.

Place the potatoes and carrots in the steamer, season with salt and the Moroccan spice mix and steam until tender (about 10 minutes.) After about 9-10 minutes, add the snow peas. Steam a further 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

To cook the fish, lay the paper out on a large baking sheet, folding each piece in half. Divide the cooled carrots and peas between the two sheets of paper, placing them near the centre of the paper.

Lay the fish on top of the vegetables and season with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice. Pile the thinly cut fennel on each, and top with the orange segments and some dill sprigs. Finally drizzle over a little more oil and lemon juice.

Now fold the top edge of the paper to meet the bottom, covering the pile of fish and vegetables. Make very tight, closely overlapping little folds or pleats to bring the edges of the paper together, working your way around, from one end to the other. You should leave enough space around the food to allow the air to expand and circulate, but it must be tightly sealed to make a parcel.

Place the parcels in the oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven onto dinner plates to serve. Take to the table and use some sharp little scissors to cut the parcels open. There will be a lovely aromatic puff of steam. Enjoy!