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bonnie's fabulous fish in a sack (papillotte)

(2 ratings)
Recipe by
BonniE !
Cottonwood, CA

I am always looking for fast, delicious meals. This recipe has it all, easy to prepare, delicious and healthy, too, and the best part, is that it is a complete fish dinner in a foil sack that you bake in the oven! Serve it with a salad and French bread, maybe wine, and ooh la la, it is so good! Photo and recipe is my own.

(2 ratings)
yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 40 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For bonnie's fabulous fish in a sack (papillotte)

  • 1 or 2
    frozen fillets of sole thawed, per person. you may also use snapper or flounder fillets or cod.
  • 8
    small red potatoes, partially cooked (2 for each sack)
  • 1
    package of whole petite frozen green beans (14 ounce package)
  • 4
    large fresh garlic cloves minced (1 clove for each sack)
  • 8
    large leafs of fresh basil (2 for each sack)
  • 8
    green onions (2 for each sack)
  • drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1
    pat of real butter cut up in each sack
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2
    cup of flat leaf parsley chopped to garnish before serving.
  • ********************
  • sauce: 2 tablespoons mayonaise, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 2 leafs fresh basil minced, stir together and put a full tablespoon on the fish in each fish sack when time to serve.

How To Make bonnie's fabulous fish in a sack (papillotte)

  • 1
    Pull 4 sheets of tin foil lay them on a flat surface and spray the dull side with Pam. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes.
  • 2
    Scrub the potatoes, and pierce the skins a couple of times and microwave all of them on the turn tray for about 8 minutes. Cook about 3/4 done so when you slice them they stay solid. They will finish cooking in the oven. When they are done, set aside.
  • 3
    Open one end of the frozen green bean package and run hot water in the bag, rinse and fill it again, and do this several times until the beans are thawed and warm. Pour them out on a cutting board and blot with paper towels. Cut each bean in half. Set aside.
  • 4
    You will be making all four of the sacks at once. Divide the green beans into 4 portions. Lay a mound of green beans in the center of each piece of foil. Lay the fish on top of the green beans on each foil. Slice the potatoes into about 4 slices per potato and place on the sides of the fish on each foil. (View photo to see how it looks before it is cooked.)
  • 5
    Salt and lightly pepper the fish and potatoes. Sprinkle each fish sack with the garlic, and lay a strip of red bell pepper across the fish, and add the basil leafs. Cut up the pat of butter into pieces and place it on the potatoes, drizzle all with olive oil.
  • 6
    Pick up the long ends of the foil and bring them together at the edges and seal. Leave it loose so it can create steam from the juices. Then seal the sides. Seal it well, leave no gaps. Then place the sacks on a baking tray and place in the pre-heated oven at 400 degrees and bake 40 minutes. Take one out and test with a fork. If it flakes, it is done.
  • 7
    Open the fish sacks carefully. They are hot and steamy. Fold the foil back on the sides to make a bowl for the meal to rest in. Serve the fish sacks resting in a large soup bowl. Now add the sauce and drizzle about a tablespoon over each fish and serve. Enjoy!
  • 8
    Cook's Tip: This is a dish you can really have some fun with. In no time, you will be making your own variations with your own seasonings. This is our favorite version of this recipe. You can use fresh fish, of course, but frozen fillets are such a time saver that I always keep a huge bag of frozen catfish and frozen fillet of sole handy. When making this recipe with the thin frozen fillets, I sandwich them together to have the appearance of a whole fish, and it works great. You can also add olives if desired. Bon Appetite!
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