Poisson en Papillote

Halibut wrapped in parchment paper topped with corn, olives, and herbs.

5 from 2 votes

My poisson en papillote recipe is a 30-minute weeknight meal featuring moist, lemony halibut fillets paired with zucchini, corn, and olives.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Servings: servings

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Karishma Pradhan

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces zucchini (about 1 medium squash) or 6 ounces green beans | see notes**
Salt and pepper
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
1 lemon
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup Castelvetrano olives
2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets at least ½-inch thick
¼ cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley

Instructions

Set a rack in the bottom of third of the oven and preheat to 425℉ / 218℃.
Prep the vegetables: If using zucchini, thinly slice 8 ounces zucchini (about 1 medium squash) into ⅛-inch rounds. If using green beans, trim and keep whole.
Finely mince 2 garlic cloves. Finely chop ¼ cup Castelvetrano olives.
Slice 1 lemon in half. Cut one of the halves into lemon wedges for serving and set aside. With the remaining half, remove the peel and pith of the lemon, revealing just the flesh. Finely chop the flesh and discard any seeds.
Arrange the vegetables: Cut out 2 (12-inch by 12-inch) squares of parchment. Add half of the sliced zucchini or green beans in an even layer to the top third of each sheet, leaving a couple of inches of room on the top and sides for sealing. Drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Arrange the fish: Pat 2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets dry, then season with ¼ teaspoon salt per fillet and a generous grind of black pepper. Arrange each on top of the vegetables.
Note: I use Diamond-Crystal kosher salt. If using any other type of salt, use ⅛ teaspoon.
Make the corn and olive salsa: Set a small saucepan over medium heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the finely chopped lemon and 2 garlic cloves, and saute until the garlic is fragrant and the lemon juice has started to reduce, about 2 - 3 minutes.
Add ¼ cup Castelvetrano olives and ¼ cup corn kernels, and increase the heat to medium-high. Saute for an additional 2 - 3 minutes to meld the flavors.
Remove from the heat, and stir in ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon honey. Season to taste.
Bake: Top each fillet with half of the salsa (don't worry if it spills over!). Carefully fold and crimp the edges of the parchment paper, starting from one side and moving around to the other, to seal the packet tightly. Place packets on a large baking sheet.
Bake in the oven until the fish is cooked through, about 8 - 12 minutes.
Note: If using a thermometer, I like to just poke it through the parchment paper to check doneness (130℉/54℃ to 135℉/54℃) so that I don't have to unwrap the packet. Otherwise, unwrap the packet, and use a fork to prod the fillet; if it's no longer translucent and the flesh flakes easily, it's done.
Serve: Place each packet on a plate, gently unwrap, top with 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley, serve with lemon wedges, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

** Zucchini will "steam" in the packets, yielding a super soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The green beans will blister slightly and retain a crisp texture. Both are great options, feel free to choose based on what you'd like more!

I often have frozen corn around, so it's easy to throw some in. However, if you're using fresh corn, it's about ½ of a cob; to minimize waste, you can just throw in all of the corn from a full cob.

Nutrition