Sunday, October 18, 2009

Easy "en Papillotte" for the Working Set

As I have written about before, my kids - especially my son - love fish. Salmon is a particular favorite, and I think it is a hoot that the fish monger at our local store recognizes my 6 year old. It is his job to select the fish each week.

But, as much as I love roasted fish - it can get a bit boring. So I thought it would be fun to try a riff on fish en papillote. What is this (for those that don't know) - basically fish and cut up veggies with some sort of scant liquid then wrapped in a parchment paper package that is then baked. You open the package at the table and voila! dinner.

Of course I have parchment paper - but what could I do that would be easier than individual packages?

Lunch Bag.

Yes. The plain brown lunch bag makes a great substitute for traditional parchment paper.

Here is the recipe. Feel free to substitute fish/veggies/etc. This is just what I used because I had it on hand - the technique remains the same. Also, I used one bag with a larger piece - you could make "mini" bags with individual portions.

Salmon in a Paper Bag

Brown Paper Bag
Olive Oil
1 lb. center cut salmon - bones removed
4 slices lemon
1 brussel sprout - shredded
1 carrot - thinly sliced
1 zucchini - thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried herbs (I used herbs de provence)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brush olive oil all over the brown paper bag (on the outside only).
3. Season fish with salt and pepper and herbs.
4. Toss veggies in bag. Place salmon and lemon slices on top of veggies.
5. Close the paper bag and place on baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes depending on thickness of salmon or fish.
7. Bring to the table and slice open the bag!

Enjoy!

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