Grouper en Papillote

posted on October 26, 2009

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Grouper is one of my favorite fish, most likely because I grew up eating fried grouper sandwiches as they are kind of the staple meal of coastal-Florida living. I knew this simple Greek recipe would be perfect for my stay back home.

The fish was delicate and moist and the vegetables got nice in soft and imparted their flavors into the grouper. The best part is, this recipe is actually pretty dang healthy! I loved dipping my crusty baguette into the sauce as Peter Minakis from Kalofagas suggests!

Grouper en Papillote

recipe from here

ingredients:

1 medium red onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pints cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
2 smallish (very precise I know) zucchini, sliced
4 grouper fillets (7-8 ounces each)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tsp dry oregano
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
parchment paper
butcher’s twine (I just asked my butcher and he cut me off a nice long piece gratis!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roast the tomatoes in the oven in a medium-sized casserole dish for around 15-20 minutes or until they burst. Remove from oven and set aside.
Rinse and pat dry the grouper fillets and then season all sides lightly with salt and pepper; set aside.
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and then reduce heat to medium. Add in the onion and pepper and saute for around 6 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and wine and saute for another minute. Stir in the zucchini and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Set each fillet in the center of a piece of parchment paper around three times the size of the fillet. Spoon some sauce mixture over each fillet and top with a few basil leaves and some dried oregano. Carefully fold the sides of the paper up towards the middle, fold the two pieces around each other to form a seal, and twist the ends of the paper. Secure each end with butcher’s twine.
Place the packages on a large baking sheet and bake in the 400 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Carefully transfer the cooked packages to individual plates and cut open at the table. Drizzle each with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil.

Edit 10/26:

It should be noted that the leftover sauce/veggies from the fish make an excellent pasta sauce over whole wheat linguini. Be sure to serve it with a nice piece of crusty bread and a good, healthy sprinkling of Pecorino Romano!