How to Make the Easiest and Juiciest Fish Ever
So many people come to me with the same question: what do I do with fish?
It’s not the easiest answer because so often it depends on an important follow up question of mine: what fish specifically?
Cooking times and cooking methods change depending on what fish you are using. However, there is one method that works with most any fish. It takes only minutes of prep. It requires no fancy skills. And the fish will come out juicy. Every. Single Time.
It’s call cooking “en papillote” in French. The Italians call it “al cartoccio.” Basically you are cooking the fish in a “package” with juicy goodness like some wine and/or tomatoes that will ensure the fish is succulent at the end. More goodies can be added like shallots, olives, herbs. If you opt for an Asian flare you can use ponzu, sake or white wine, tamari/soy sauce and add mushrooms and green onions.
The point is: the fish is cooked in juice.
En papillote usually entails using parchment paper. Al cartoccio on the other hand usually entails using tin foil. I use both. And the reason why is important.
Tin foil will insulate the package better plus it’s easier to close up. That said, tin foil can leech metals into your food so it’s best to not have it touch you food as much as possible. Parchment paper is a little harder to fold into a perfect pouch, but it is safe to use in contact with your precious ingredients. Therefore I always layer my package first with parchment paper and then with tin foil on the outside for a well-insulated, easy pouch.
Of course, the timing of cooking the fish will depend on exactly what fish it. But first a note on timing…..
Since putting the fish in the oven is NOT only about cooking the fish itself, but giving time for the other ingredients to cook and meld their flavors together, you want this process to take long enough for good flavor but not too long that you overcook your fish.
Therefore I highly recommend using this method for a thicker fish like salmon, halibut, Chilean Sea Bass a snapper, cod or anything that is basically not a super thin piece. If you have a super thin piece of sole for example, you can still use this method, but I would recommend using a lower oven temp and keep it in there for a longer time.
In general, I would say putting the fish of 1/2 inch to inch thickness in at 400 for 20 minutes more or less will do the trick. You want your fish to be fork tender when done. If it doesn’t cut easily with a fork and is still chewy inside, your fish is still raw.
Here are list of juices you can use for the fish. Feel free to experiment beyond this, but I tend to use either a Mediterranean or Asian flavor profile.
white wine or rose (for Mediterranean flair)
sake or white wine, tamari/soy sauce and/or ponzu (for Asian flair)
Here are other ingredients you can use:
Tomatoes, olives, parsley, rosemary, capers, shallots (for Mediterranean flair)
Shitake mushrooms, green onions, sesame seeds, (for Asian flair)
For my Mediterranean Fish Packet Recipe click here.