Fish In Foil

Hi there!

Tonight I'm going to give you my "go to" fish prep.  This is guaranteed to work with everything from salmon to red snapper.  If you have parchment paper, you've probably already made "fish in paper" or en papillote.  If you don't happen to have any parchment handy, tear off a piece of aluminum foil about 6-8" long.  Put a little olive oil and/or butter onto the middle of the right side of the foil.  Put the fish on top, add a little more olive oil/butter, and if you like, a spoonful of capers, or some fresh herbs like thyme, tarragon, or dill.  Seal the pouch around the fish and place it in a baking dish (better safe than sorry).  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes for a 1/3 pound piece of fish.

Don't add lemon or acid of any kind until the fish is cooked - it will react with the aluminum in the pouch.  In fact, if you find you like this preparation, it's worth investing in a roll of parchment paper so that you're not cooking in aluminum all the time.  To use the parchment paper, you cut a heart shape big enough to allow a few inches around the fish.  You put the fish on the right side of the heart and fold the left side over it, then start crimping the paper at the point at the bottom, around into the "V" at the top.  From there, the procedure's the same.

I got the fish at the farmer's market, at the California Star Seafood stand (better known as the big white tent with the blue-and-white coolers).  If you're not fortunate enough to have fresh fish readily available, feel free to use the frozen.  Follow the thawing directions on the package and look for fish that are sustainably raised or harvested.  Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx) is a great resource for wading through those complicated waters (pun entirely intended).

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!