One of my favorite dishes to make for summer entertaining is Halibut en Papillote. I absolutely love fresh seafood, especially in the warmer months. This is a very easy, light, and flavorful entrée that uses parchment paper for a dish with a French Mediterranean flair. It always receives rave reviews from my guests. In addition, there is little prep work and no fancy sauces to deal with.
Essentially, en Papillote means cooking in parchment paper. The steam created in the sealed parchment paper cooks whatever is inside the paper, leaving it flaky and tender, while picking up the flavors of any veggies, herbs and seasonings placed inside.
I like to create a DIY prep station where my guests can prepare their creations on their own. This recipe calls for zucchini and tomatoes, but you could absolutely add any seasonal vegetables here Kalamata olives, mushrooms, leeks – whatever veggie that can be cut and diced into smaller pieces would work.
After assembly, each paper gets folded over and the ends get twisted to create a sealed packet. I have each guest write their name on their packets. The packets then get placed on a baking sheet, when they go into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. They rest for a few minutes, then each guest gets to “unwrap” their culinary creations to reveal a beautifully cooked fish surrounded by perfectly steamed veggies. It’s an interactive meal that can be prepped ahead of time so you can spend more time with your guests. Did I mention this is super healthy too??
I’ve got a video tutorial on my Instagram here. If you’re a visual person like me, you’ll enjoy seeing this step-by-step.
Please let me know if you try this! I always love to hear feedback and any suggestions!
Halibut en Papillote
Equipment
- 4 sheets parchment paper
Ingredients
- 4 TB olive oil
- 4 fresh halibut filets, 1-1.5” each
- Handful thyme sprigs
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 cup diced zucchini
- 1 cup small cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- dash of white wine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lay parchment paper down and place 3 slices of lemon in the middle of the sheet, followed by shallot slices.
- Place the halibut on top of the lemon & shallot slices. Drizzle with 1 TB of olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and add thyme sprigs on top.
- Surround fish with zucchini and tomatoes. Approx 1/2 cup per entree. Add a dash of white wine here if desired.
- Pull parchment paper up around fish, fold over sides, then twist ends to seal each packet. If guests are preparing their own, write their names on the top of each packet.
- Place packets on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Let sit for a few minutes, then slowly open packets. Be careful of steam! Serve with lemon wedges.
- Bon Apetit!
