Chile Ginger Fish Baked in Paper

Amarante

Mon, Mar 07 2016, 12:38 pm

This was good and very easy. I didn't bother with the parchment but just wrapped in tin foil. Easily scales up or down. Slightly Thai-ish in flavors because of the coconut milk and slight heat from the peppers.

Chile Ginger Baked in Paper

Source: Teigen, Chrissy - Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat

SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 20 minutes TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

Baking it in paper is not only the ultimate show-off move, but it also ensures your fish is super juicy, in its own little aroma sauna. Gently tear open the top of the parchment or taped-together rolling papers and breathe in that goodness.

1 large serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large red Fresno chile or another jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1½ tablespoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
4 (4-inch-long, ⅛-inch-thick) zucchini strips (from 1 zucchini)
1 (12-ounce) cod fillet
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin coins
2 tablespoons canned coconut milk (preferably full-fat, but use light here if you must)
1 tablespoon mirin (or sub sherry or sake)
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon fresh lime juice

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Cut a 12 × 18-inch piece of parchment or foil. Fold the parchment in half (to make an 12 × 9-inch rectangle), trace a half-heart on it, and cut it out of the parchment with scissors. (Like you did in grade school to put on the family refrigerator.) (If you’re using foil, butter the side of the foil the food will go on.)

In a bowl, combine the serrano and Fresno chiles, scallion, and garlic. Open up the parchment heart and place half the chile mixture in the center of one half. Arrange the zucchini slices on top to form a bed for the fish. (Lay them down at an angle so that they fit inside the paper heart.) Season the fish with salt and pepper and place on top of the zucchini. Cover the fish with the remaining chile mixture. Top with the shiitakes and the ginger coins.

In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pour the mixture on top of the fish.

Fold the other half of parchment heart over the fish. Starting from the round side, fold the edges of the parchment in toward the fish. Working as methodically as you can, keep folding the parchment over, all the way around the edge, creasing and sealing each fold; the key is to seal the liquid and fish inside the parchment. When you get to the pointy corner, fold it back toward the edge of the parchment to seal the package.

Place the package on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the parchment puffs slightly and the fish is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Rip open that parchment and serve that baby hot.

Folding the fish in a heart-shaped piece of parchment is like origami for cooks. Basically, you’re trying to create a seal around the fish so it steams up tender and flavorful. If you don’t have parchment or don’t feel like doing an art project, just seal the fish in a packet of foil, using a little extra foil so the food has room to steam.”