Weird title, right? But that is LITERALLY what this meal is. Fillets of fish, on a bed of vegetables, wrapped up in a parchment paper “bag” and baked. The veggies steam and give the fish such a fresh flavour, there is nothing better! This meal can be done with almost any type of fish, it is so quick to prepare and cooks within 30 minutes. The fish is tender, flaky and moist. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked. This was a menu item when I worked at Red Lobster and although I never knew the recipe, the method was easy enough to test out and love!
Ingredients
These will be the loosest ingredients I have ever listed, so bear with me! You will need enough fish fillets for the group you are feeding. Anything as small as 1 or 2, to a few bags with 5 or 6. Depending on the size of fillet, I would do 1-3 per bag. I usually use Tilapia, Salmon or Trout, skinless is best. The pictures I’m posting feature a larger trout fillet which fed our family of 4.
Vegetables! You can use any vegetables you like, anything that will steam or roast well. Think about what fish you’re using, how the fish will absorb the flavours and what you like to eat.
Butter, salt and pepper to taste, lemon wheels, garlic cloves and any herbs you want to use to add flavour. I suggest dill, thyme or even sage or basil.
Parchment paper! Key to the cooking process!
Baking tray to lay the bags on
Directions
Start by deciding how many bags you are making. Is everyone having their own individual serving? Are you making a big bag for everyone to serve from? Plenty of options for this recipe. I’m going to focus on making one big family bag today. Put your baking tray in front of you in your work area, then lay the parchment paper over it.
Wash and cut any vegetables you are using. I tend to wash and cut as I go and make layers. I put my heartiest vegetables on the bottom. In this case, I went super simple and laid baby carrots as my first layer
Next, I chose celery and mixed cherry and grape tomatoes. The tomatoes were great because they were already in a perfect size. The celery I cut into bigger pieces so they wouldn’t get too soft while cooking.
Next, I added squares of bell pepper and cut about 4 garlic cloves in half, tucking them in amongst the sides of the vegetables. The garlic cloves aren’t pictured below.
Now it’s time to lay the fish fillets over the bed of vegetables. Lay the fish over the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then thinly slice some butter and lay over the fish. Add any fresh herbs you would like to use. I had chives on hand, so decided to Last, lay the lemon wheels on the fish. All the flavours will steam together with the fish and the vegetables creating such a delicious, fresh taste!
Now it’s time to make our parchment paper bags. Pull a piece of parchment paper that is as big as the bottom piece. Next, fold the corners over together to help keep the pieces together. Now, slowly start to roll the edges together and in towards the centre. Keep rolling along the edges, squeezing them tightly to form a “bag.” Once you have finished rolling and the edges are sealed together, you can put the tray in the oven.
Bake at 375F for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how many fillets you have in. Once cooked, remove from the oven. Carefully take a knife and cut along the middle length of the parchment paper. Steam will be escaping, so watch that you don’t burn yourself. Serve and enjoy! If doing individual bags, you can plate and open at the table for extra flair. With individual bags, you can eat right out of the bag!
Everyday Functionality 