How to Cook Fish in a Paper Sack

Paper bags can be used, under the right conditions, to cook food.

Employing paper, grape leaves or other type of wrapper as a cooking vessel is a technique that transcends several cuisine types and cultures. South American cooks commonly use corn husks in everyday cooking, such as with tamales. The banana leaf finds use as cookware on several islands in the Caribbean. The French use parchment paper in en papillote preparations, which simply means "in paper." Regardless of the material used, the wrapper, which can be as simple as a brown paper bag, acts as a small, disposable steamer. This method cooks fish by enveloping it in gentle, moist heat.

Things You'll Need

• Olive oil
• 1 brown paper bag, non-dyed and wax-free, measuring 10 1/2 inches by 5 1/4 inches by 3 1/4 inches
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 fish fillet, such as salmon, orange roughy or tilapia
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
• 5 halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced fennel, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• Sprig of rosemary
• Sheet pan
• Stapler
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Apply a thin layer of olive oil to the inside and outside of paper bag.

2. Position the bag on its bottom, with the opening facing upward.

3. Place shallots in an even layer on the bottom of the bag.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Season the fish fillet to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Place the fillet in the bag on the layer of shallots.

7. Add the juice from one freshly squeezed lemon to the top of the fillet, drizzle with olive oil and top with cherry tomatoes, fennel and rosemary sprig.

8. Fold the bag six times with 1-inch folds and staple it three times.

9. Place the bag on a sheet pan and place it in the oven.

10. Cook the fish for 10 minutes and remove from the oven.

11. Allow one minute for the steam to dissipate and use scissors to cut the bag open.

12. Place the opened bag on the sheet pan and return it to the oven.

13. Cook the fish for an additional 10 minutes, or until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tips & Warnings

• An oil aerator, which can be filled with olive oil and sprayed, or can of oil cooking spray facilitates oiling the bag.

• Elevating the fish allows steam to circulate under the fish.

• Folding the bag allows enough space for steam to build up and expand the bag during cooking.

• En papillote preparations are usually served in the bag, placed on a plate.

References

• CD Kitchen: Salmon Provencal in a Paper Bag Recipe
• "The Professional Chef 8th Edition"; The Culinary Institute of America; 2006
• Cooking Light: Tasty packages: En Papillote Steaming