Halibut En Papillote
Make this Halibut En Papillote for an easy, elegant weeknight meal! Made with fresh halibut fillet, white wine, lemon wedges, garlic fresh thyme and herbs, and simple seasonings.
I learned how to make fish en papillote at cooking school! We made it with salmon, and it was so memorable. I think any mild flavored piece of fish will work nicely for this recipe, but baked halibut is just fantastic.
The parchment paper packet creates an opportunity for the fish to steam in a moist environment, creating a dish that is buttery and rich in texture. It’s so amazing!
I used fresh halibut filets, fresh herbs from our garden, lemon, white wine, garlic, olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Roasting any type of fish in a parchment paper pouch creates a nice steamy environment for it to cook without losing any moisture!
My instructor recommended we make this for Valentine’s Day, because it’s tradition to cut your parchment in heart shape shapes! For the parchment pouch, cut two matching circles (or ovals, or hearts, or whatever) out of parchment paper. I typically aim for about 8 inches on all sides for a 5-6 ounce filet of fish. You can always trim it down if needed!
It’s wonderful to have your own portions. You can even plate the parchment packets directly on each dinner plate, and let everyone open their own packet!
Then, I place fish in the center of the parchment, and layer the ingredients over the top. Then, I place the second layer of parchment over the top of the fish, and crimp the parchment pieces together, creating a tight seal.
Although there is a bit of prep time, one you get used to making the parchment packets, I think this is the easiest way to make a flavorful dinner with halibut steak using hot steam!
Serving Suggestions
The fresh, light flavors of this baked halibut recipe deserve equally light and flavorful side dishes! I recommend this Orzo Pesto Salad, Italian House Salad or Sesame Sautéed Asparagus.
Recipe Ingredient Substitutions and Additions
As always, this is YOUR dinner! Feel free to add additional items into the packet to roast alongside the herbs. I love to add:
- A few cherry tomatoes
- A handful of fresh, trimmed green beans
- A few mushrooms
- Additional fresh basil or herbs
You can also substitute halibut for salmon, tilapia, snapper or grouper.
Halibut En Papillote
Ingredients
- 2 6- ounce skinless halibut filets
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 lemon slices
- 1 tablespoon of white wine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs thyme, rosemary, parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ Fahrenheit.
- Pat fish dry with paper towel. Prepare two 8-inch rounds of parchment per fish filet.
- Lay the fish filet down on a round of parchment. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Lay lemon slices on top of each piece of halibut. Then, add a splash of white wine and olive oil. Finally, add minced garlic and fresh herbs.
- Place the second round of parchment paper over the fish. Then, cinch the two rounds of parchment together by folding it over itself along the edges, creating a sealed packet.
- Place packets on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily using the tines of a fork.
- Allow to rest for 1-2 minutes before opening the packet. Serve immediately.
Made this for friends last night and everybody loved it!
This is my new favorite halibut recipe!
This turned out fantastic! My family loved it.
This was the perfect weeknight dinner.
This was so good!