We've been eating increasing amounts of fish lately, since opting to cut down on meat, and one of the biggest challenges has been reinventing a Sunday roast. Somehow though, roasting food 'en papillote' just feels that little bit fancier and therfore more weekend-appropriate, despite actually being very simple to prepare. We love a whole fish for that wow-factor but if dealing with such things on your dinner plate isn't your thing, you can use filleted fish, just make sure you reduce the cooking time accordingly. The beauty of this dish is really that you can add any flavours to it that you fancy, switch up the herbs, throw in some capers, leave out the lemon... the world is your oyster - or indeed your seabass.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 whole seabass, gutted
8 garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed, if you like, or left as is!
2 large sprigs of rosemary
½ lemon, sliced
½ glass white wine (cheap and nasty is fine, we have a bottle for cooking in the fridge!)
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan.
- Start with a baking tray or dish big enough to fit the full length of the fish in. Lay a length of foil across the width of the dish and then lie the same length of baking paper on top.
- Pop the fish in and tuck the rosemary sprigs and lemon slices into the cavity. Scatter around the garlic cloves, then pour the wine all over and drizzle olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Close up the parcel, pulling the two lengths of paper and foil together and crunching into a seam down the middle. Scrunch or fold together the ends too. Don’t worry too much if there’s some slight gaps, a little steam escaping isn’t the end of the world.
- Pop into the oven and cook for around 25 mins until the fish is cooked through and flaky.
- Serve immediately with accompaniments of your choice and a little of the cooking liquid spooned over! We served with dauphinoise potatoes (obviously), salt baked roots and my ever-favourite, leeks, peas and pancetta.
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