HALIBUT EN PAPILLOTE
I love to eat fish but I’ll admit it, cooking fish is not my forté. That’s why I often order it when dining out. I particularly love halibut and knew that my girlfriend Cindy, the guest of honor at the birthday dinner party I recently hosted, loved halibut too. So I decided to serve Halibut en Papillote as my main dish at Cindy’s birthday dinner.
Halibut en Papillote is a particularly great dish to serve at a dinner party for several reasons:
- It looks really special, festive and elegant
- All the work in preparing it can be done in advance
- It’s a healthy way to prepare fish, as the parchment paper it’s cooked in helps to retain all the healthy goodness
- It’s easy to make and difficult to mess up
So that right there are all of the reasons why you too should make Halibut en Papillote real soon.
By the way, I used one of my alltime favorite spices, Sumac, in this recipe.
Sumac is commonly used in Middle Eastern dishes and has a lovely, tangy/sour quality to it, much like the citrus fruit I also used in this recipe. I think it compliments the fish beautifully. Unless you have a Middle Eastern Market in your neighborhood you may have to order it online. I get my Sumac here and you can too. Once you try it I think you’ll be a fan. Among other things, I also use it in my delicious recipe for Chelo Kebab.
Here’s the handy-dandy printable recipe for Halibut en Papillote…
- Basil Oil
- 2 Cups Packed Fresh Basil Leaves (Stems removed)
- 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- For The Fish
- Parchment Paper & Baker's Twine
- 8 - 6-Ounce Halibut Fillets
- Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Sumac
- ¼ Cup Capers
- 1 Cup Cooked Edamame (shelled)
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil Oil
- Juice of 2 Large Lemons
- 8 Thin Slices Fresh Lemon
- 8 Thin Slices Fresh Lime
- Basil Oil
- In a blender (Vitamix is best) puree the basil and olive oil until completely smooth.
- Add the salt and pulse once to combine.
- Put the mixture in a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat.
- Simmer for 45 seconds, then allow to cool to room temperature.
- Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Discard the basil solids.
- Set aside until ready to serve. Stir before using.
- Leftover Basil Oil will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.
- For The Fish
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut off 8 large squares of parchment paper and place the halibut in the center.
- Generously sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper & sumac.
- Sprinkle on a few capers.
- Drizzle the fish with 2 tablespoons of basil oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Place 1 slice each of lemon & lime on each piece of fish.
- Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of Edamame.
- Gather up the sides of the parchment paper into a package and tie it tightly with baker's twine so that no steam may escape while baking.
- Trim off all but about 2 inches of paper on top of each pouch.
- Place pouches on a sheet pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes or to desired doneness.
- Place the tied up little packages onto the plate and serve.
- Guests will untie the papillote to enjoy.
So there you have it: HALIBUT EN PAPILLOTE
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission.
