You might think that cooking fish in foil is something relegated to the great outdoors. Something that you do on camping trips – or at the very least something to be done on a grill. But really, cooking fish in foil is a great way to cook fish overall. And it provides some other pretty helpful benefits: it’s easy and cleanup after dinner is a breeze.
Cooking in little pouches has been a tradition for ages and was a common cooking method in both France and Italy. In French, it’s called “en papillote” (in paper) and in Italian, it’s “al cartoccio”, and it basically consists of wrapping food or fish in parchment paper and securing the sides tightly so that the steam is trapped inside of the paper and cooks the food. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use foil or even a paper bag. It’s convenient, and frankly, it’s pretty fun. But it also offers a few other handy benefits, so let’s talk about why people bother cooking fish in foil when they could just throw it in a skillet instead.
Why Cook Fish in Foil?
You can cook plenty of things en papillote, such as vegetables, chicken, pork chops, or steak. But fish is especially great for cooking in foil or parchment paper as it doesn’t take a long time to cook. And when you steam it in a package, you can rest assured that 15-20 minutes will undoubtedly take care of it.
Cooking fish in foil is also a very healthy way to cook, as you forgo much of the oil and butter that you’d use to saute fish or bake it. And while you can still pop in a slice of butter or drizzle some oil on the fish in the package, you can still have delicious juicy fish without it. Simply add in some herbs and the flavors will bake into the fish – absolutely perfectly.
Finally, one of our favorite benefits of cooking fish in foil is the presentation of cooking en papillote, which makes the whole process of opening up the package of fish and veggies and whatever else you decide to cook in a package exciting. For starters, you can serve the whole thing in the foil package, but more importantly, you get the aromatic benefits of opening the foil package right before you dig into it! And there’s nothing better than enjoying a burst of delicious smells right before you get to enjoy your food.
How to Cook Fish in Foil
If you’ve never tried cooking fish in foil before, this quick recipe will help you get started. Remember: you can add in whatever vegetables you like and season the fish any way you prefer, but the basic recipe formula stays the same.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Take four fish fillets and rub them lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place each of them in an aluminum square. Take a separate aluminum square and seal the top of each of the four packets, making sure to squeeze each side of the packet to seal it completely shut. Place the packets in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Once they’re finished cooking, take the packets out of the oven, open, and squeeze fresh lemon on the fish. Serve immediately while hot.
Do you have any favorite ways to cook fish in foil or any other meal in foil? Share it with us in the comments below!
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