Pesce al cartoccio (fish baked in parchment paper)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Categories: Kids, Healthy, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
This is a super simple yet impressive dish. It can be flavoured in different ways: tomatoes, garlic, olives and rosemary or capers, anchovies and parsley. While the fish is in the oven, you are free to make a salad or other vegetables. You can also chop 200 grams of potatoes into small cubes and place it on the foil and top with the fish. This recipe can also be done in individual portions by selecting 300-400 grams whole fish or 150 gram fillets of fish and dividing up the aromatics and wrapping them in 4 different containers (but the cooking time will be reduced).
Author:
Recipe type: Main Course (Secondo)
Cuisine: Inter-regional
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1.5 kilos whole fish, gutted and scaled (sea bass, gilt head bream, mullet, sea bream or snapper) or a 600 gram fillet of cod or hake
  • 1 lemon, cut into rounds
  • 3 cloves of garlic, whole with skins removed
  • 20 grams flat-leaf parsley
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 200C. Take a sheet pan large enough to accommodate your fish and line it with a piece of foil or parchment paper twice the size of the pan. Centre the paper or foil on the sheet pan and drizzle the middle of it with olive oil. Place the fish in the middle of the paper or foil. Open the belly of the fish and stuff it with the lemon rounds, garlic cloves and parsley.
  2. Sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil over top of the fish.
  3. Fold in the edges of the foil to seal the fish in. If using parchment, roll the paper in (you can secure it with toothpicks if necessary). You can also wrap the fish in parchment with another layer of foil.
  4. Do not wrap the fish tightly, there should be space around the fish for the steam to accumulate.
  5. Bake the fish for 30 to 40 minutes (depending on the thickest part of the fish- about 10-12 minutes per 2.5 cm (1 inch) of thickness). Remove from the oven when done and place on a plate to be opened at the table. The aromas from inside the paper will whet everyone's appetites!
Recipe by Living a Life in Colour at https://www.livingalifeincolour.com/recipes/pesce-al-cartoccio-fish-baked-in-parchment-paper/