Fish en Papillote

Don't be turned off by the fancy title of this dish. Yeah, it's French. But it simply means "Fish in Parchment". And preparing this petite bundle of fish couldn't be less fussy. You do need parchment paper. I keep it on hand for baking and pizza-making. All you do is place a fillet of white fish (I went with flounder) in the center of a parchment square and top it with with freshly sliced veggies, a few slices of lemon, two sprigs of fresh thyme, a pat or dab of butter, and  little white wine (or lemon juice). The hardest part is making sure your parchment is securely crimped. Otherwise the steam will escape and the veggies will be undercooked. Into the oven it goes to steam for 10-15 minutes. When it comes out the fish is flaky, the vegetables tender-crisp, and the juices pooled at the bottom of the packet are infused with lemon, garlic, and thyme. Forget plates and dive right into the parchment, or serve over a bed of brown rice to soak up the runoff. Easy and impressive.

Fish en Papillote

INGREDIENTS
1/2 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 zucchini, julienned
1 large carrot, julienned (I think I'll use a yellow squash next time)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 4-6 oz. flounder, sole, or other white fish fillets
1 lemon, thinly sliced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 pats butter
1/4 cup white wine (I used a squeeze of lemon juice instead)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. In a large bowl toss onion, zucchini, and carrot with garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place each fillet in the center of a large square of parchment paper and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the vegetables on top, dividing evenly among the fillets. Top each fillet with 2 slices of lemon, 2 sprigs of thyme, a pat of butter, and 1 Tbsp. white wine (or a squeeze of lemon juice). Fold the parchment paper over and secure the edges tightly in 1/4-inch folds to make a half-moon shape. Make sure the packets are sealed well, or the steam will escape.

4. Arrange the packets on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for about 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Cut the packets open and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Food Network)