This easy weeknight baked fish and veg recipe is packed with fresh herbal flavors from chermoula, a North African sauce made with parsley, coriander, garlic and preserved lemons.
This super easy all-in-one barramundi and fish parchment casserole with peppers, zucchini, onions and asparagus is given an herb finish of chermoula, a North African sauce made with coriander, parsley and a blend of spices.
This healthy, flavorful dish is low in fat and carbohydrates, but packed with flavor. Best of all, this delicious dinner requires little cleanup and can stand on the table for 30 minutes from start to finish.
The same goes for chermoula, the sauce takes minutes to make and adds solid flavor to this handy dinner recipe, but it also makes a delicious dressing, dip, marinade, or topping for grilled veggies and chicken.
The fish
Fish fillets, fish steaks and crustaceans are suitable for this recipe. I chose barramundi for its moderate texture and mild flavor.
Be sure to use a similarly sized fish like tilapia, trout, sole, or small crustaceans like shrimp or scallops. If you want to use thicker cut fish like salmon, halibut or shellfish like scallops, simply add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
You’ll know the fish is done when you touch the outside of the parchment and your finger doesn’t sink all the way in – the fish will have some firmness. It doesn’t need to feel completely firm as it will continue to cook for a few more minutes before you open the package. Leaving the fish in the oven longer than the recommended cooking time can result in an overcooked fillet.
This recipe serves two. You can use either one large 8-ounce fillet cooked in a single package or two smaller 4-ounce pieces of fish baked in a single package. This recipe can easily be doubled; the cooking time remains the same.
What is Chermoula?
The flavors in this recipe are based on a Moroccan sauce called chermoula. Fresh parsley and coriander are mixed with spices, lemon and olive oil. You ended up with more chermoula than needed for this recipe, so you can use the leftovers on anything from grilled cheese to fried chicken or veggies. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Fish in Papillote
The technique of creating a parchment package is called in papillote and it’s one that you can transfer to other recipes once you get the hang of it.
Chicken, veggies, and seafood can all be wrapped in parchment—it’s great for sealing in flavors and juices, and gives your recipe a beautiful presentation. It also works well in low-fat recipes that rely on fresh herbs for flavor.
Flavor is crucial when working with parchment, as baking on parchment is essentially a steaming in the oven, meaning the tightly folded wrapper bathes the ingredients in whatever you’re flavoring them with.
If you don’t have parchment handy, you can use aluminum foil. Don’t use wax paper, which would melt in the oven.
To make a parchment paper pouch large enough for this recipe, follow these steps:
- Cut a piece of parchment about 16 cm long. Put it on a baking sheet.
- Fold the paper in half lengthwise (short edge to short edge) and press to create a crease, then unfold. Lay your ingredients on one side of the parchment, place the thinly sliced vegetables on top first, the fish on top and drizzle the chermoula on top.
- Fold the other half of the parchment over the ingredients and begin attaching the paper by starting in a corner and folding it over in half-inch segments, starting each new fold right after the one before the end. You can staple these segments to keep them from unraveling, especially if you are doing this for the first time. Tuck your final fold under the opposite corner of the parchment.
CONTINUE READING:
Can you make fish en papillote in advance?
This dish is best served fresh out of the oven, but can easily be made ahead of time. Fill your parchment with fish, veggies, and gravy, then refrigerate until ready to bake.
Since we work with raw fish, you shouldn’t keep it unbaked in the fridge for more than a day or two before baking. Bring the parchment-stuffed fish to room temperature before placing in the oven so it bakes evenly.
Best side dishes for parchment fish and vegetables
This dish is primarily made up of protein and vegetables, so it pairs great with a starchy side dish. I like to serve it over couscous, rice, a mashed root vegetable, a mixed grain pilaf, or orzo.
More flaky and fragrant fish recipes
- Crispy Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw
- Baked Bluefish
- Halibut with fennel, peppers and tomatoes
- Crispy Panko Fish Sticks
- Foil-baked salmon with leeks and peppers
Fish and vegetables baked on parchment with chermoula
Before you begin, beat up the chermoula. It only takes a few minutes in the food processor or blender. If you don’t mind a little elbow grease, a large mortar and pestle will do the trick.
ingredients
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3 tablespoon Chermoula
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1/2 Cup paprikathinly sliced
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3/4 Cup asparaguscut into 2 inch pieces
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3/4 Cup zucchini, cut in 1/4 inch thick semicircles or coins
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1/4 Cup Onioncut into 1/8 inch thick slices
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2 (4th–ounce) Barramundi Fish fillets
method
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare the chermoula recipe (it only takes a few minutes).
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Make the Parchment Packets:
Cut a piece of parchment about 16 cm long. Put it on a baking sheet. Fold the paper in half lengthwise (short edge to short edge). Press the fold to make a crease, then unfold it again.
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Place the ingredients on the parchment paper:
Place the peppers, asparagus, zucchini, and onion on one half of the parchment paper. Leave enough room around the edges to fold the parchment later. Place the fish on the vegetables and spread 3 tablespoons of chermoula on top.
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Seal the fish and vegetables in parchment:
Fold the top piece of parchment over the fish and vegetables. You will fold, crease, and pinch the top and bottom pieces of parchment to seal the food inside the parchment.
Starting at one end, fold the two pieces of parchment together, pressing down to seal the folds as you work your way to the other side. Tuck your last fold under the parchment to keep steam in while the fish cooks. If you’re having trouble keeping the parchment together, you can staple it or use aluminum foil, especially if you’re doing this for the first time.
Although no twisting is required, the overall look will look slightly curled or twisted.
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bake fish:
Place the baking sheet with the parchment-covered fish in the oven and bake the fish until fairly firm to the touch when you press the outside of the parchment paper, about 15 minutes.
You should be able to push your thumb into the fish and your finger and not push all the way in and create a dent; it should have a bit of springback instead. Take out of the oven.
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Let the fish rest and cool down a bit:
Let the fish rest for about 5 minutes and cool down a bit. The fish will continue to cook while it rests.
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Surcharge:
Once the fish is rested, use scissors to cut through the parchment paper and transfer the fish and vegetables to a plate.
Note that hot steam will escape when you open the parchment pack – so be sure to let it cool for a few minutes to avoid burning yourself from the steam.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 198 | calories |
| 6g | Fat |
| 13g | carbohydrates |
| 25g | protein |
