Parchment Baked Halibut with White Wine and Fennel

This is quite simply one of the easiest and most impressive dishes that I know: fish baked in parchment paper. There are fancy names for this such as "______ [insert name of fish] en papillote (French)" or "en cartoccio (Italian)" - all which really just mean cooking in a folded parcel. I ordered this at an Italian restaurant recently - Halibut en cartoccio - and spent nearly $30 on it (work dinner, so I technically did not pay). Knowing how simple it is to make this dish at home certainly did not take away from my enjoyment of the restaurant dish as it was quite fantastic. Instead, it made me even more excited to try more variations of this dish in the comfort of my own home (for a much cheaper price).

The concept of cooking fish in paper is basically to serve as a vessel for trapping juices and steaming the fish - keeping it nice and moist and infused with the flavors included in the pouch. One of my favorite flavor combinations is with fennel, lemon and white wine. Fresh flavors that delicately infuse into the fish (halibut is my preferred go-to) and work beautifully together.

It's a good idea to cook your vegetables (if using) for a bit before bundling them with the raw fish in the parchment. This just ensures that your vegetables will be cooked through when your fish is ready. Additionally, beginning the cooking process allows for the vegetables to start breaking down and releasing their own natural juices which allows for a great depth of flavor infusion.

This time, we cooked thinly sliced fennel and shallot with olive oil and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. The vegetables were then mixed with lemon zest, lemon juice and white wine. Then scattered over a raw piece of fish (halibut) and sprinkled with thinly sliced garlic and thyme. Simple and fabulous.

We used an inexpensive (around $12) bottle of wine that we picked up at the local grocery store to "steam" the fish in. Come to find out - this is a really decent Sauvignon Blanc and a good value at a low price point. We always want to cook with something that we will want to drink alongside the meal so that's why you won't find any bottles of 2 buck chuck (or an equivalent) in our kitchen. Quality ingredients = quality food. Bad wine does not lead to good food. So a $12 bottle is cheap enough that we don't feel bad using it for cooking - but we also can enjoy a glass with the end result. The Sauvignon Blanc was a great choice because it was crisp and has a tart fruitiness and hints of lemon. The brightness goes beautifully with fennel and lemon.

Roasted baby purple potatoes added the "heft" to the dish, bringing a nearly creamy and indulgent texture wrapped in a crisp and slightly salty skin. Fabulous. If you haven't tried purple potatoes - you are missing out. They are packed with more antioxidants that your standard white potato and also add a wonderful pop of color to a dish.

Once all of the ingredients are placed with the fish - place another piece of parchment on top and roll the edges inward together to create a sealed pouch. After about 15 minutes of baking (depending on the thickness of the fish) you should have a perfectly cooked and tender piece of fish. It can be served in the paper or plated alongside additional menu items.

That initial whiff of air that you get once you cut through the paper and allow flavors and fabulous smells to escape from the cooking vessel - that's something to look forward to.

Parchment Baked Halibut with White Wine and Fennel
serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (reserve fronds for garnish)
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided 
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 stalks of thyme, leaves removed
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a saute pan set over medium heat. Add the fennel and shallots and a large pinch of salt (to taste) cooking for about 8 minutes or until the fennel begins to turn light brown. Be careful to not burn the vegetables as that will infuse an undesirable flavor into the fish. Adjust the temperature to ensure a slow and even cook.
3. Once the fennel and shallots have started to brown, remove from heat and add the lemon zest, lemon juice and white wine. 
4. Prepare your parchment vessel using one of the following methods. 1) Fold a large piece of parchment paper in half. Draw half of a heart on the paper and cut along the lines, creating a whole heart once you unfold the paper. 2) Cut out a two large circles from a piece of parchment paper, setting one down as the "base" for the fish. For either method, repeat for the number of fish you are baking.
5. Lay a single piece of fish down on the parchment. If using the "heart" method, place on one side of the heart. If using the "circle" method, place in the middle of the circle. Rub with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
6. Top fish with the fennel mixture. Sprinkle with sliced garlic and thyme. Drizzle remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil on top of the fish mixture (1 teaspoon per fish). 
7. To seal the parchment: If using the "heart" method, fold over the other half of the heart to cover the fish. Then roll the two paper edges inward together, creating a tight seal. When you reach the bottom of the heart, twist the paper tightly together to ensure no steam escapes. If using the "circle" method, place the second piece of circular paper on top of the fish and roll the edged together inward to seal the pouch.
8. Place the pouches in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish. This was perfect for our halibut of medium-thickness.
9. Remove from oven. To serve, break through the parchment either tableside (impressive) or prior to plating. Top with fennel fronds and don't forget to pour all of the juices on top of the fish.

Gourmet and simple. Those are two beautiful words together.