Fish and Vegetables Baked in Parchment

A healthy and tasty way to prepare fish and vegetables in their own juices --
flavored with spices. 

This is one of my favorite ways of cooking fish, especially when I'm looking for a healthy alternative. Don't get me wrong, I love deep-fried fish. You know, those greasy fish sticks with French fries and tartar sauce. But I know I'll have some serious indigestion after that meal and swear never to eat it again—until the next time I can't resist. 
The fish cooked in parchment is equally good tasting, just without all the fat and frying.  Not to mention the smell and messy pans. When you bake fish and vegetables in parchment, you are steaming them in their own juices, preserving all the nutrients and requiring little added fat. This kind of cooking creates maximum flavor as all the aromas are sealed in with the moisture. The natural juices of the fish and vegetables do the actual cooking by creating steam. Within minutes you have a scrumptious, fantastic tasting meal. You can use any white fish and vegetables of your choice. Thin filets like sole cook in 15 minutes. For thicker cuts, add 5 minutes for every ½ inch of thickness. I'm going to try jumbo shrimp the next time. Aluminum foil may be used in place of parchment, but parchment creates an elegant presentation and puffs up while cooking. I promise, once you get comfortable cooking this way, you will do it over and over again. ​

I used swordfish for this recipe because it had been caught that day and looked fantastic. Most of the time, I use snapper. You can vary the vegetables and spices to your liking.  Remember to spray the inside of the parchment (where the food goes) with oil spray. I always put some of the veggies on the bottom for the fish to rest on. In this recipe, I used green beans. I used tomatoes from Robert's garden, but cherry tomatoes would be better.

Print Recipe

Ingredients :

For 2 persons ( 1 package per person )


2 pieces of swordfish (7 ounces each)
1/2 cup of roughly chopped olives 
1-2 TBS chopped garlic
1-2 TBS chopped parsley 
1 cup chopped tomatoes 
A handful of green beans (about ½ lb.) 
 4-6  anchovy fillets 
1 lemon, zest and juice
1TBS capers (rinsed)
3-4 TBS olive oil 
Salt and pepper 
Coarse salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Preheat the baking sheet in the oven.

Cut  2 sheets of parchment paper 14 x 15 inches each.
Spray the center of the paper with cooking oil. Place ½ of the green beans in the center, then top with 2-3 anchovy filets. Season the fish with salt and pepper and put it on top of the anchovies. Sprinkle with lemon juice. In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, olives, capers, parsley, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Nestle the veggies around the fish. To close, fold the parchment paper over each serving and make small overlapping pleats to seal the packages above and fold the open sides. Arrange the packages on the preheated baking sheet and place in the center of the hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes more or less, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily in the center. I cooked my swordfish for 25 minutes and it was perfect. My fish was very thick and had a bone. Serve a packet per dinner plate and cut open at the table, removing the paper. Serve with rice or crusty bread.

Guten Appetit!
recipe by©sunnycovechef
​