Poached Perch in Parchment
This flexible recipe is good for any type of fish and a variety of green herbs. Cooking in parchment makes cleanup a breeze.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cups chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 3 teaspoons mild paprika
- 2 teaspoons mild or medium hot red pepper flakes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 pounds perch fillets, roughly 8 oz. per serving (pick larger fillets if available; if not, use two smaller pieces per bundle)
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 2 mild peppers, such as Anaheim, seeded and cut into 4 strips lengthwise
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 lemon, sliced into 6 slices
- 1/3 cups olive oil
- 1/4 cups white wine or anise-flavored liqueur, such as Pernod, ouzo or rakı (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°.
- Cut 6 pieces of parchment paper large enough to hold the fish fillets and to be folded securely to keep moisture in.
- In a bowl, mix the onions, fresh herbs and spices (except for the bay leaves).
- Melt the butter and brush the inside of each piece of parchment paper before adding the fish.
- Distribute the onion, herb and spice mixture between the fish packages and place the tomatoes, peppers, bay leaves and lemon slices on top of the fillets.
- Mix the lemon juice, olive oil and wine or liqueur and pour over the fillets, distributing evenly between the packages.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Close the packages by first bringing together the edges along the long side of the fillet and folding over each other to create a tight seal.
- Follow by folding in the loose edges downward 2 to 3 times so that the seal faces down.
- Moisten the tops of the packages with a little water to seal better.
- Place the packages on an ovenproof dish or tray and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Place the individual packages on plates, open slightly to allow the steam to escape and serve immediately.
