If you watched Alton Brown’s episode on cooking in a pouch (The Pouch Principle, season 7 episode 8 of Good Eats), then you have a pretty good idea of what happens in this recipe.

I have 4 different types of fish and a lot of different veggies. Some liquids and herbs. Each assembly is basicaly the same: veggie, fish, liquids, herbs. Wrap it up, cook it, eat it.

High level overview looks like this:

1. Wash, peal, slice, and dice veggies.
2. Rinse fish fillets, pat dry, salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Cut your parchement paper in the heart shape, just like making a valentine in grade school.
4. Layer about 1 cup of veggies on the bottom.
5. Put the fillet on top of the veggies and spread 1 teaspoon of minced garlic on the fillet.
6. Pour 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of juice on top, then sprinkle with dried herbs or place fresh herbs on top.
7. Fold the pouch over and seal it by crimping the edges, then cook in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Preparation

The purpose of prep is to make the assembly of the pouches faster and easier. Wash veggies like peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, etc. Peel veggies like shallots, garlic, onions. Slice up the veggies in whatever way you like. I did some long and some wide, just for fun. Then I fresh squeezed the juice from the lemon, lime, orange.

After you have the veggies and fish prepped, you are ready to put all these goodies into a pouch. The first thing you do is cut your parchement paper in the shape of a heart. Every en papillote video shows the chef expertly pulling a piece of parchment paper, folding it in half, then with a few well placed snips of their sizzors has a perfectly shaped parchment heart.

I wasn’t going to waste my parchment paper and time trying to make a perfect heart. I maybe got one during the entire cooking session. I highly doubt a “heart” will make the food taste better.

As you can see from the picture, my pouch was more of a square. I placed my veggies on one half, the fish fillet on top, smeared it with garlic, then oil, juice and in the case of the tuna spinkled some dried thyme on top.

When all the ingredients are in the pouch, fold it over and take the edges and fold them in. I could place 3 pouches in this 10 1/2 inch by 15 1/2 inch casserole. Pop it in a 400 degree over for 15 minutes and you have 3 meals!

Cooked in Pouch

Plated for Meal Prep

5 oz salmon fillet
1/3 cup sliced zucchini
1/3 cup grape tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 basil leaf

5 oz sea bass fillet
1/2 cup broccolette
1/3 cup carrots
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon herbes de provence

5 oz tuna steak
1/3 cup red bell pepper
1/3 cup orange bell pepper
1/3 cup yellow bell pepper
1/3 cup red onion
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon dried thyme

5 oz cod fillet
1/3 cup yellow squash
1/3 cup green onions
1/3 cup red onions
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 – 3 dill sprigs