Grilled fish has such amazing flavour, but it can be a bit tricky to cook without falling apart. Wrap your halibut in parchment paper for a delicious, easy to cook dinner!
I love grilled fish! What I don't love is the fact that perfectly cooked fish falls apart, meaning it's near impossible to cook on a grill grate. Let's get fancy and wrap our fish in parchment paper for a delicious meal!
I love to serve these over some stir fry veggie blend with rice. You could also add diced potatoes to the grill as your side dish. The fish plays nicely with just about anything you add to your plate!
Key Ingredients
Fish - I love when our family catches halibut when out! You can certainly use any white fish here, that you have caught yourself or picked up from a reputable shop.
Asparagus - This sturdy veggie will keep the fish out of the excess liquid and it also picks up all the flavour of the fish and butter!
Butter - Make a quick compound butter with garlic and paprika!
Lemon - Just 4 ingredients here for a quick grilled fish. The lemon brightens everything up and ties it together.
How to Make Halibut en Papillote
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Allow the butter to soften, and use a fork to mash in your seasonings.
Step 2: Layer your asparagus on sheets of parchment paper, and place a fillet on each pile.
Step 3: Top each fillet with lemon slices and the compound butter.
Step 4: Wrap well so nothing escapes!
Step 5: Add to the grill until cooked through and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Twist each end of the paper in opposite directions, much like wrapping up a homemade caramel.
- Not feeling confident in your parchment being leakproof? Worried you'll catch it on fire? Heavy duty aluminum foil may also be used.
- Serve with additional veggies and your side dish. Fish isn't super filling to me, so I like to add plenty of other nutrient-dense items to our plates.
FAQs
It's so easy to flavour butter, you might start trying out new combinations. Use fresh or dried herbs, freshly minced garlic, even try some ginger. Really, the sky's the limit here. You can also add compound butter to parchment or plastic wrap, and roll it into a log to pop into the freezer. You can make these up ahead of time and store for whenever you want a hit of extra flavour.
For many of us, we have been taught to snap off the thickest end where it naturally comes apart. Often though, I find that this really wastes a lot of the stalk. You can simply cut off any ends that are too thick for your liking. I also have been seeing lately that peeling layers off the tough end allows you to keep most of the stalk but it isn't so difficult to eat. This is a perfect job for little hands!
Most parchment is rated for up to 450°F, so if you are baking this in a 425° oven you should be just fine. Just make sure your rack isn't too close to the heating element. For the grill, either use gas or make sure you don't have large flames. Cooking off to the side of flames for an indirect heat is also a great idea. Your paper should brown but not burn. If you are truly worried, you can always use heavy duty aluminum foil instead of parchment.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Grilling Recipes
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Grilled Halibut in Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 4 skinless halibut fillets about 1 pound total
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 - 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 1 lemon sliced
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Light grill or preheat oven to 425°F while preparing ingredients.
- Dice garlic finely and add to softened butter, salt, and paprika in a bowl and press together with a fork until well combined.
- Slice lemon into 8 thin slices, not including the ends.
- Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper (or heavy duty foil) large enough to hold the fish, butter, and asparagus without spillage.
- Chop asparagus into small pieces, discarding the woody parts of the stem, and divide into 4 even amounts on each piece of parchment.
- Place a halibut fillet on each asparagus pile, two slices of lemon, and ¼ of the prepared compound butter.
- Folding paper over the contents, there should be overlap, start to twist one side clockwise and then the other side counterclockwise until package is wrapped like a big bon bon wrapper. Make sure it is tight enough that contents aren’t visible.
- When grill is hot or oven is at 425 F, place the wrappers on the grill, or on a baking sheet in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. Parchment paper should darken but not burn.
- When finished, plate each fish package in wrapper with a bed of rice and your favourite stir fry frozen vegetables on the side if desired.
Notes
- Prepare asparagus by either snapping the tough ends or peeling the stalks.
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