Ginger-Soy Fish in Parchment
Hello, hello! After a perfect week soaking up sunshine, savoring beach time, and sipping tropical juices in Mexico, I’m feeling so very refreshed and ready to tackle a bunch of projects around the house, some major efforts at work, and get refocused here on the blog. And of course, our recent adventure means beach packing tips and peeks inside not one, but two gorgeous hotels all coming soon. In the meantime, I wanted to share one of my favorite light recipes for summer as we kick off June!
Cooking in parchment paper (or en papillote in French) is one of my favorite techniques. In addition to being downright easy (despite the fancy name), it’s a dish that is both impressive and rustic-looking. This Ginger-Soy Fish with Spinach and Mushrooms is as simple as layering the ingredients in the middle of parchment paper, then folding and sealing the packets really well to lock in the steam. The result is a moist, tender piece of fish packed with lots of flavor. The best part? It’s ready in just 10 minutes. In the summer, I also love substituting the parchment for aluminum foil and cooking the packets directly on the grill—these Scallops Steamed in Foil are an all-time favorite dish of mine.
Ginger-Soy Fish Steamed with Spinach & Mushrooms
2-6 oz. pieces of cod
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
1 handful of oyster or shitake mushrooms
2 pieces of parchment paper, about 16-inches wide each
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons of fresh minced garlic
2 teaspoons of fresh minced ginger
A dash of red pepper flakes
1 egg white
A couple very thin slices of lime, for serving
A couple thinly sliced basil leaves, for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger. Cut the parchment paper, then fold the left and right sides of each piece of paper toward the center and crease well, leaving room in the middle for the ingredients. In the center of each piece of parchment, place a handful of spinach then the fish on top, and scatter the mushrooms around the edges. Pour the sauce over each serving size. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Fold the sides of each parchment in toward the center so they overlap slightly, then fold the top and bottom edges toward the center. Brush a little of the egg white under the top and bottom edges to help them seal shut. Transfer the packets to a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit 30 seconds, then open the pouches. Serve with lime slices and basil leaves on top.