Fish and Vegetables En Papillote (Fish in Parchment)

Fish En Papillote is a stunning way to prepare fish and vegetables baked in parchment paper that infuses so much flavor into all the ingredients. It’s beautiful, so delicious and very simple to prepare.

Fish and Vegetables En Papillote (Fish in Parchment)

Healthy, easy and tasty are my prerequisites for a perfect meal and this fish en papillote is exactly that. I love that you can bake the fish and the vegetables together, you can prep it in advance and it’s such a gorgeous presentation too.

As the fish and vegetables steam together in their paper shell, all the flavors get really concentrated and the fish stays moist and juicy. It’s also awesome to have both the fish and the vegetables cook at the same time. I love the generous portion of vegetables; it is enough food to make this meal complete. Of course, you can serve it alongside rice, mashed potatoes or couscous, but they are really easy to make too, and you can do that while the fish is in the oven.

A fun way to serve this dinner is to place the parchment packet on each dinner plate and have your family or guests open their packets themselves. Not only is it bold and entertaining, but as they open the packets, they will get a really good waft of incredible aroma, and that will boost their appetite even more. 

What is En Papillote?

“En papillote” is French for “in parchment.” I love using this method for fish. Fuss free, beautiful presentation, divine flavors. It’s a winner on all counts. As the food bakes in the oven, all the flavors are trapped inside the parchment, perfuming the whole dish and creates steam, which cooks each component perfectly.

Ingredients:

  • boneless, skinless fish fillets
    • most of the time I use cod or salmon, but you can use many other fish, such as swai, tilapia, haddock, etc.)
  • shallots or onion
    • shallots are more mild and cook through faster, so I prefer to use shallots, but red or yellow onion will work too.
  • garlic
  • zucchini
  • carrot
  • celery
  • bell pepper
  • lemon zest and juice
  • olive oil
  • fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, green onions, cilantro, etc.
  • salt, ground black pepper
  • butter
Ingredients For Fish En Papillote

Parchment For Baking

I love these convenient parchment baking bags*. They are already assembled and so easy to use. I use them for roasting beets too:).

You can also use regular sheets of parchment paper too, of course. Place the fish and veggies on one side of the parchment, fold over the parchment paper over the fish. Starting at one end, fold the parchment paper into creases, and working your way around, keep folding the parchment paper into pleats, slightly overlapping the creases to make sure you have a very tight seal.

Fish En Papillote
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How To Make Fish En Papillote

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. First, prepare all the vegetables by cutting them into thin matchsticks.
    • It’s very important to cut the vegetables very thinly. If the vegetables are too large, they will not get a chance to cook through in the short amount of time that it takes the fish to cook.
  3. Season the fish fillets with lemon zest of half the lemon, half the garlic, fresh herbs, olive oil and salt and pepper. Rub it evenly on all sides.
  4. Next, mix all the vegetables together in a large bowl with the other half of the garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, fresh herbs, and season them with salt and pepper. 
  5. Finally, assemble the parchment bags.
    • Place 1/4 of the vegetables into the parchment bag and place 1 fish fillet on top of the veggies. Place a pat of butter on top of the fish.
    • Staple the ends of the parchment paper bag shut, removing as much air as possible and folding over the edges of the paper.
    • Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, to create 4 packets.
  6. Place the packets onto a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven.
  7. Use an instant read thermometer to check the doneness of the fish. Obviously, I only check one of the packets, so I keep the rest intact and in perfect presentation mode:).
    • For cod, I cook it until it reaches 140 F. It will continue cooking even after you take it out of the oven and should reach 145 F before you serve it.
    • For salmon, it depends on how you like to cook it. I like salmon to be almost fully cooked, so I cook it until it reaches 130-135 F. If you like yours more rare, cook it a bit less.
    • Of course, if you don’t have a thermometer, you can open the packet to check on the fish. It should easily flake.
How to make Fish En Papillote step by step tutorial

How to Serve Fish in Parchment

To serve, cut open the packets and take out the fish and vegetables with a spatula, or have each person open the packet themselves at the table. Squeeze more fresh lemon juice on the fish.

You can serve the fish and veggies just like that, with nothing else, but if you’d like, you can also make some fluffy mashed potatoes, Zucchini Couscous or a simple serving of rice.

Salmon and Vegetables baked in parchment

Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use other fish?

Absolutely. This recipe works so well with many boneless, skinless fish fillets. You can use snapper, haddock, steelhead trout, swai, catfish, tilapia, and many more.

Vegetable Substitutions:

You can omit any of the vegetables, just make your own variation by using thinly sliced or grated vegetables. Other vegetables you can try: leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, etc.

How long to bake fish in parchment?

The time will depend on the size of the fish fillets and how thinly you slice the vegetables. If you cut everything into bigger pieces, it will take longer to cook through.
Start with 10 minutes, and if you check it and it’s not baked through long enough, you can keep cooking it for an additional 5-8 minutes.
You can use an instant read thermometer and stick it right through the parchment into the center of the fish. (130-135 F for salmon, 140 F for cod).

Print

Fish and Vegetables En Papillote

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5 from 1 review

Fish En Papillote is a stunning way to prepare fish and vegetables baked in parchment paper that infuses so much flavor into all the ingredients. It’s beautiful, so delicious and very simple to prepare.

  • Author: Olga’s Flavor Factory
  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Entree

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 (6 oz each) boneless and skinless fish fillets (salmon, cod, swai, tilapia, haddock, snapper, etc.)
  • 2 shallots or 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 24 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 zucchini cut into thin matchsticks
  • 1 carrot, grated or cut into thin matchsticks
  • 1 celery stalk, cut into thin matchsticks or thinly sliced
  • 1 small or 1/2 of a large bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks
  • 12 lemons (zest and juice)
  • 4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided 
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs, finely chopped
  • salt, ground black pepper
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Prepare all the vegetables by cutting them into thin matchsticks, grating or finely slicing them. 
  3. Season the fish fillets with the zest of half the lemon, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 Tablespoon fresh herbs, 1-2 garlic cloves, salt and pepper. 
  4. Mix all the vegetables together in a large bowl and season them with salt and pepper. Add the remaining garlic, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, remaining lemon zest, 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/2 Tablespoon fresh herbs. 
  5. Place 1/4 of the vegetables inside the parchment paper, then place one fish fillet on top of the vegetables and lastly top with one pat of butter. Close the parchment bag and staple it shut. 
  6. If you’re using parchment paper sheet, place the vegetables, fish and butter on one side of the parchment, fold over the other half of the parchment. Starting with the edge, keep folding the parchment paper into pleats, slightly overlapping the creases to make sure you have a very tight seal.
  7. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, to create 4 packets.
  8. Place the packets on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes  in the preheated oven. (If your fish fillets were larger or you cut the vegetables into bigger pieces, cook longer, 15-18 minutes.)
  9. To serve, cut open the packets and take out the fish and vegetables with a spatula, or have each person open the packet themselves at the table. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish. 

Notes

It’s very important to cut the vegetables very thinly. I used a mandoline to slice all the vegetables and then my knife to cut the slices into matchsticks. You can use a knife if you don’t have a mandoline, it will just take a little bit longer. If the vegetables are too large, they will not get a chance to cook through in the short amount of time that it takes the fish to cook. 

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15 Comments

  • Lans

    Is it healthy to cook in aluminum foil? I avoid aluminum since I’ve heard that it’s an unsafe metal. To not cook in it or use it in any form. Is there an alternative?

    • olgak7

      Lans,
      As I wrote in the recipe, you can use parchment paper to cook the potato and celery root gratin. Please read the instructions carefully. I had planned to make the gratin on the grill, which is why I used aluminum foil. I personally use aluminum foil in my cooking, but if you choose not to, it is completely fine to use parchment paper instead.

  • Jessica

    Wow, this was incredible! I made it with salmon and it was amazing–I will definitely be making this again. I love that I can try any of your recipes and know that it will be delicious!

    • olgak7

      That’s great, Jessica! Glad to hear that the fish was a hit.
      Thanks for taking the time to write. It means a lot for me to hear that you enjoy my recipes:).

  • Vicky

    This recipe was so so good. Easy, and delicious. My favorite combination when it comes to making a dish. Thank you so much for all your recipes. I use your blog all the time. Every recipe I make from your blog always exceeds my expectations.

  • Olga

    A few dumb questions:
    1. Is there a difference between “parchment” and “wax” paper or is it the same?
    2. Can you use foil instead of parchment paper?
    Thanks

    • olgak7

      “The main difference between waxed paper and parchment paper is their respective coatings. Parchment paper is coated with silicone to give it a nonstick, heat-resistant surface, whereas waxed paper is coated with a wax such as soybean or paraffin.

      Waxed paper is not meant for use in the oven—the wax coating on it will melt if the paper is exposed to direct heat.”
      Yes, you can use aluminum foil, Olga. That would work just as well.

    • olgak7

      Yes, it will definitely work well with chicken breast too. The timing will depend on the size of the chicken breasts that you use. I would recommend using an instant read thermometer. Bake until the chicken reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

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