Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Fishing For a New Recipe?

I do not cook alot of fish, mainly because I just have never cooked alot of fish, but I was experimenting with some from the local Sunflower Market last night when I found some fish called 'basa.' I do not know my fish types or what the best way to bring their natural flavors out but I figured better late than never so I experimented with a cooking technique called 'en papillote' meaning 'in parchment.' It is basically just steaming the fish when it is wrapped inside of foil or parchment paper. The first night I tried, I am pretty sure I undercooked it but last night I made some adjustments and it turned out DELICIOUS! So without further ado, I introduce you to a new culinary delight.

Fish En Papillote
2 fish fillets (~8oz each), sliced very thin
2 purple or red potatoes (~6oz each), sliced very thin
1 medium yellow squash, sliced very thin
2 baby bell pepper, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Season the fish to taste with your favorite seasoning (lemon pepper was pretty good)
2. While oven is heating, layer the potatoes and squash like dominoes slightly overlapping, one after the other on the parchment paper or foil.
3. Place the fish on top.
4. Cover fish with peppers, and cover that with the lemon slices.
5. Place the tomatoes along the side of the fish.
6. Fold the parchment/foil so the fish is completely encased. First fold it long ways and then fold the flaps under the bottom (here is another method). Place the fish packet on a baking sheet and insert in oven.
7. Plan on cooking for about 18mins before you need to start checking for doneness.
8. Once cooked to completion, gently slide the contents to a plate, cut each fillet in half, and serve with a side of steamed rice.

Yields: 4 servings (pictured is 2 servings)
Cals: 220; Fat: 1.5; Carbs: 22; Protein: 29

*Note on cooking fish: there are several ways to tell when a fish is ready to be pulled out  of the oven 1) the fish is flaky and easily pulls apart, 2) the outside of the fish is opaque and the center is very close to it, 3) the inner temperature reaches ~140. Remember that food continues to cook for about 5min after they are removed from heat so use this in your estimate to avoid drying the fish out.






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