Cooking fish "en papillote"

[parisbound]

Hi, All.

I am planning to cook fish "en papillote" for my final exam. I've only seen cool-looking (but I'm sure food-styled) pics of dishes prepared this way but have never tried it myself.

Any and all tips (presentation, technique, recipes) would be appreciated. I'm particularly concerned about serving it package closed and getting nasty surprises (e.g. doneness, appearance) when the jury of external chefs open it up for judging.

Hope you can help. THANKS!!!

 

[greg]

I recently had to do an "audition" for a new job and decided to try some new things. Even with 20 years of experience, I still had a couple slip-ups. My advice would be to do what you know. I was lucky and got the job; you might not be. Not to say that you shouldn't always try to push your boundaries and learn new things. An exam is probably not the best time to do it, though.

 

[miahoyhoy]

Practice, practice, practice....

Then practice again.

Find a recipe (google), try it, tweak it to make it your own, practice and tweak until it's perfect every time.

 

[cape chef]

parisbound,

There are thousands of flavor combo's you can try.


The important thing to remember is to carefully fold the parchment paper to create an air tight seal.This will help you to gadge the doneness of your fish because the paper will puff up, and this is the sign that it's done. You want to be sure your plates are warm to recieve there packages, and you serve them at once.

Asian style with slivers of ginger and lemongrass in the cavity,a mixture of miso,soy,rice wine and oyster sauce to brush on the fish. Top with cilantro leaves and black sesame seeds and grilled scallions.

Mediterrianean with sliced fennel, onions, garlic and orange zest in the cavity with chopped oregano and mint also.
perserved sliced lemons over the fish, chopped olives, olive oil and flat leaf parsley grey salt and pepper.

These are just two easy examples. I generally use red snapper (whole)because it taste wonderful, is attractive and works well with many flavors.

I think if you practice the technique and develope a flavor theme that works I would encourage you to give it a try.

good luck.

 

[dano1]

Like Cape Chef said its all in the fold. A little egg white on the parchement and double folding will help keep the seal. Also blowing a little air into the papillote just before sealing will help keep the paper inflated(don't let the instructor catch you with a straw stuck in it when it's puffed and browned it's done. Practice at home first.
hth, danny