I imagine most of us pan-fry or bake as our go-to methods for cooking fish. But to change things up and get a little exploratory in the new year, may I suggest steaming your fish?
At first, steamed fish sounds like a recipe for something a little on the bland side — something diluted in flavor, or maybe a meal you’d only make because it’s “good for you.” But if you cook past these associations, you’ll find that steaming isn’t just a cooking method, but also a secret weapon. Especially when you know how to do it well.
Like any other approach to cooking seafood, steaming has its merits. As a gentle form of heat, steaming can produce seafood that’s incredibly flaky, moist, and infused with aromatic flavors. There are different ways to steam fish, but my personal favorite is to steam fish en papillote: to place it in a packet of parchment or foil, then bake it.
One reason I like steaming fish this way is because it brings some culinary drama to the dinner table, setting you up for a big reveal. Sure, it’s sustenance, but it’s also a culinary gift for your senses. There’s just something about the aesthetic and interactivity of opening up a steamy parcel of delicious food.
Another reason I like steaming fish en papillote is because it’s easy and endlessly remixable: Just wrap a fillet and a few ingredients into the packet, seal it, pop it into the oven for about 15 minutes, then open it to present a flaky, fragrant portion of fish tucked in among the herbs and vegetables of your choice. Any herb works, and just about any quick-cooking or leftover vegetable will work too.
There are a couple of recipes up on the blog to inspire you. If simplicity and crisp Mediterranean flavors are your jam, this recipe for Pacific Cod with Cherry Tomatoes, Oregano, and Lemon is the way to go. The ingredient list is pared back to a few aromatic essentials that bring big flavor to mild white fish. This is also a great recipe to try if you’ve been having trouble cooking Pacific cod — cooked en papillote, it’ll be tender and flaky every time.
Let’s say you’re in a more indulgent mood. Steaming fish en papillote can work for that too, as you’ll find with this recipe for Creamy, Garlicky White Fish en Papillote. A little cream and butter add richness (but not heaviness) to the meal, and help disperse the flavor of garlic throughout the packet. Pacific halibut is a great option for this recipe, as it has a meatier texture that stands up to the creamy sauce.
For a fully loaded meal en papillote — some fish, some veg, and some starch — try this recipe for Pacific Cod with Potatoes and Kale. There’s an extra step of prep involved, as you’ll need to parboil the potatoes before putting them into the packet so that they’re cooked through once the fish is done. To skip this step, you can substitute leftover cooked potatoes, or even a starch like leftover rice or quinoa. Each of these options will soak up the moisture and flavors that you’ve assembled in the packet, becoming the base of a delicious new meal.
After you’ve gotten the hang of steaming fish with these recipes, I encourage you to experiment a little and develop some of your own, using whatever produce looks good at the market or whatever you happen to have in the kitchen or freezer on any given day. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well everything comes together when cooking en papillote with wild-caught seafood.
Live Wild,
Monica
Pictured above: A fillet of Pacific halibut steamed on a bed of lemon slices en papillote, smothered in a savory, scalliony, garlicky cream sauce.
