This recipe for steamed fish en papillote balances a delicate cooking method with a few indulgent ingredients for a meal that complements any variety of lean, mild white fish. A firm species like Pacific halibut or lingcod gets a perfectly rich treatment when folded into a packet of foil or parchment with a spoonful of cream, an array of aromatics, and a touch of butter.
How to Steam Fish en Papillote
Though you’ll be using your oven to bake the fish, cooking lingcod or Pacific halibut en papillote is a way to steam the fillets. Baked fish in foil or parchment packets become tender and flaky as the juices trapped inside heat up and turn to steam, cooking the fish with a moist heat.
The key to cooking fish en papillote is to seal the packet well so that steam doesn’t escape. Foil packets are easier to seal, as you can crimp the edges together. With parchment, you will need to make small pleats along the edges until the packet is sealed.
Knowing how to steam fish in parchment or foil packets is also an easy way to meal prep with seafood. You can assemble your packets ahead of time and place them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook, either later that evening or the next day, making it one of the easiest and most convenient Pacific halibut or lingcod recipes to prepare during a busy week.
About Chef Amanda Elliot:
Amanda Elliott is the chef/owner of Beet Box and Belly in Columbia, Missouri. She is also a freelance recipe developer sharing recipes centered on the idea of the communal table and embracing the heritage of food through travel.
