Fish en Papillote with Pesto, Fennel and Oranges

This fish en papillote recipe is super easy to make and is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner as well as a fancier weekend dinner. We serve the fish with homemade dill pesto, sliced fennel and orange slices. 

What’s Fish en Papillote? 

It’s a french cooking technique that means to bake fish inside of a pouch made of folded parchment paper. This is a super easy way to cook fish at home.

Why Should You Use this Technique?

This way, the fish steams as it cooks and you end up with a super moist and tender texture. Plus, it’s super easy to make and perfect if you have difficulties cooking fish normally. 

What’s the Cooking Time for Fish en Papillote?

It will vary based on the variety of fish you’re using. When using a lean flat fish, such a sole or turbot, I recommend you cook it for 10-12 minutes. If you’re using a thicker fish, such as cod or halibut, the cooking time will be higher, 13-16 minutes.

How to Make Fish en Papillote?

1. Use 30 cm parchment paper sheets.
2. Add veggies on the 2/3 of each parchment paper.
3. Dispose fish filet on top of the veggies.
4. Fold the parchment paper around the edges tightly (1/4-inch folds) to create a half moon shape. Make sure you press as you crimp and fold to seal the packets well.
5. Cook the fish on a baking pan in the oven.

How to Serve it?

We’re already adding sliced fennel as a side. I love to serve fish en papillote directly on a plate. You can also serve it with a simple salad and/or rice.

Fish en Papillote with Pesto, Fennel and Oranges

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

30

minutes

This fish en papillote recipe is super easy to make and is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner as well as a fancier weekend dinner. We serve the fish with homemade dill pesto, sliced fennel and orange slices. 

Ingredients

• 4 white fish filets (sole, cod or halibut) – 600g

• 1 big fennel bulb, finely sliced*

• 1 big orange or 2 smalls, sliced

• Dill pesto – or swap for store-bought pesto :

• 1 cup of dill

• 1 cup of parsley

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ¼ cup of pine nuts (roasted) or any nuts of choice

• ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese

• Juice of ½ lemon

• ½ tsp of salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425F and place the grill in the middle.
• Season fish filets on both sides.
• Prepare the pesto. If using store-bought, go to the next step. In a food processor, add all the ingredients except olive oil. Blend for 20-30 seconds, until finely chopped. While the food processor is running , pour the olive oil slowly. Add more olive oil if needed, depending on the texture. Set aside.
• Prepare the fish en papillote. Use 4 parchment paper sheets (30 cm width). Add sliced fennel in the middle of each parchment paper. Add orange slices (2-3 slices) on top of the fennel for each parchment paper. Place the fish filet on top. Spread 2 tbsp of pesto onto the fish. Fold the parchment paper around the edges tightly (1/4-inch folds) to create a half moon shape. Make sure you press as you crimp and fold to seal the packets well.
• Place them on a baking pan. Bake for 10-16 minutes*. Serve directly on each plate and open with a knife.

Notes

• You can swap the sliced fennel for asparagus instead.
• The cooking time will vary based on the variety of fish you’re using. When using a lean flat fish, such a sole or turbot, I recommend you cook it for 10-12 minutes. If you’re using a thicker fish, such as cod or halibut, the cooking time will be higher, 13-16 minutes.

Other Fish Recipes to Try:

• Sesame Cod With Sweet Potato Puree and Kale
• Salmon Filet with Green Olive & Walnut Salsa