A rich, buttery white fish and julienned vegetables steamed to perfection all inside a parchment pocket.
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Oooooh! Sounds FANCY and difficult doesn’t it?!? NOT!! It’s merely French for “Chilean Sea Bass baked in a pouch” guys! This is probably the easiest meal that I make one to two times a month for the hubby. It’s definitely one of his favorites and mine too! I had my first experience with this particular preparation at Bowers Harbor Inn in Traverse City almost 15 years ago. It was probably the most elegantly prepared dishes that I had at that point in my life. I was so impressed with how moist and flavorful it was and the presentation was just lovely! So now, whenever we have guests over, I tend to gravitate towards this dish because it’s an impressive way to give your dinner guests that extra special welcoming touch. You know, like you really made a big fuss but shhhhh, don’t tell anyone. 🙂 It’s so incredibly simple and they’ll just love you for it! 🙂 You can use any type of mild white fish in this preparation, but we enjoy the rich, buttery and melt in your mouth texture of the Chilean Sea Bass. This fish is out of this world good! Whenever we spot it on a menu, we just have to try it because it’s like “butta.” 🙂
Begin by julienning 2 large zucchini and 2 medium sized carrots using a mandoline or by free hand. I love my handy mandoline slicer but you can also use a spiralizer as well for “curly q” veggies. Slice 1 small red onion, 1 large red pepper and mince 2 large cloves of garlic. Add about 1 T. of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the veggies to coat with the oil and seasoning. Season a 6 ounce fillet of Chilean Sea Bass with about 1 tsp. of Emeril’s Bayou Blast Creole seasoning (see below) on all sides. Cut a large piece of parchment paper into a large 14 inch circle. Place fillet on right side of parchment paper and top with 1/4 of your veggies, 1 lemon slice, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 T. of butter, 1 T. of white wine and a drizzle of olive oil. Repeat with remaining 3 servings. Note: If you can’t find the Emeril’s Seasoning at your local grocer, here’s the recipe:
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all of the ingredients and use as needed. Makes 2/3 cups. Fold the left side of the parchment to create a half moon shape an crimp the edges all the way around to create a little cooking pouch for the fish. Make sure its tight as you want all the steam to remain inside. Repeat with the remaining three servings. Place all of the pouches on a baking sheet and cook in a 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillets. Now we’ve come to the time to rip these babies open right at the dinner table. Now behold the beauty of this delicious dish in all its glory! Say Grace and enjoy!
Chilean Sea Bass en Papillote
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini
- 2 medium sized carrots
- 1 small red onion
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves large
- 1 T. olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 6 oz. Chilean Sea Bass fillets
- 4 tsp. Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning divided
- 4 lemon slices divided
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme divided
- 4 T. butter divided
- 4 T. white wine divided
- olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Julienne zucchini and carrots using a mandoline or by free hand.
- Slice the onion and red bell pepper into thin slices
- Mince garlic cloves with a hand grater
- Place the veggies in a bowl and add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.
- Season fillets with about 1 tsp. of Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning on all sides.
- Place fillet on right side of parchment and top with 1/4 of mixed veggies, 1 lemon slice, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 T. of butter, 1 T. of white wine and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Fold the left side of the parchment to create a half moon shape and fold & crimp the edges from one side to the other to create a little cooking pouch for the fish. Make sure it's tight as you want all the steam to remain inside. Repeat with remaining three servings.
- Place all of the pouches on a baking sheet and cook in a 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillets. Say Grace and enjoy!
Adapted from Melissa D’Arabian’s 10 Dollar Dinners
jaysbakingmecrazy says
This looks so delicious and light- perfect for summer! My husband is a huge fish fan so I’ll definitely have to make this for him. It does look super impressive! 🙂
Felesha Bell says
He will love it Jessica! It’s melt in your mouth good! Just like butta’!! 🙂
Chris says
I made this recipe tonight and it was fantastic! My husband loved it, and it looked like we were eating in a fancy restaurant. I did adjust the seasoning a little, as my husband is very sensitive to anything very spicy. I also changed the oven temperature to 400 degrees because I bought frozen fish and that’s the temperature the package said to use. He still isn’t done raving about it. I’m so glad I tried it. Thank you!
Felesha says
So glad you enjoyed it too!! One of hubby’s favorites!
Chris says
I made this for the second time last night. This time I used halibut. Both times, it was delicious! I also adjusted the spices a little because my husband cannot tolerate anything spicy. The recipe is not difficult, and I agree that it felt like we were dining in an upscale restaurant. I think the next time, we’ll eat by candlelight to make it even more special. Thank you for sharing this recipe and making me look good!
Felesha says
Awww. I love hearing this! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m so glad you were able to connect with each other with this impressive dish! May God continue to bless your union.