Portuguese-Style Sea Bass & Beans En Papillote | Everyday Dorie

We eat fish regularly and having more ways to cook fish is wonderful. First of all, en papillote is French for “in a pouch,” or sealing and baking the ingredients in a bundle. I’ve cooked fish wrapped in parchment paper from time to time. Above all, the most memorable experience I had was seeing a pouch in translucent fata paper cooked and unwrapped. Same approach, different paper in use.

I videotaped how the chef cooked a fata paper pouch on a griddle and unpacked it in front of the diners. As the bag was untied with quick movements of the fingers, its content was reviewed. Instantly, you wanted to take in all the aroma and examine the treasure within. What a beautiful presentation of the clear pouch of delicious food that’ve stayed with me for years. Seeing something done for the first time is always special.

Cooking en papillote can be compared to steaming or braising in a sealed enclosure. Except the pouch is much smaller and easier to divide into single servings. I like how the en papillote method, and similarly cooking in a convection steam oven or a Dutch oven, help with moisture retention and locking in the flavors. Smaller packages also mean shorter cooking time. It works especially well when cooking for two.

The Portuguese style features, besides the fish, white beans, herbs and tomatoes in a white wine sauce with smoked paprika and garlic. First mix cooked or canned cannellini beans with garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil in a small bowl. Add paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Then set the bean mixture aside.

Next layer the ingredients in the center of a big sheet of parchment paper:

• On the bottom layer, start with a slice of lemon, then slices of tomato, and a sprig of thyme and season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon on the bean mixture and scatter scallion or onion. Nestle the fish (I use sea bass) seasoned with some paprika, salt and pepper.
• On the top layer, spread around garlic slivers and scallion or chopped onion. Repeat the bottom-layer ingredients: lemon, tomato and thyme and, again, seasoning. Pour over one tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon white wine.

The most tricky step is the requirement to fold the parchment paper origami-style to make a tightly enclosed sack. It should be done so that steam can’t escape as the fish cooks. For sure, making a packet with aluminum foil or fata paper is less fussy or messy.

Note on cooking time — For a 5-ounce cod, bake the packet for 15 minutes in a 450°F oven. For fillet less than 5 ounces, check for 12 minutes or until the fish is opaque at the center. In fact, weight matters less than the thickness of the fish. Thicker fillets tend to take longer to cook.