Mahi Mahi en Papillote with Mango Salsa
The term en Papillote means “in parchment” and it is a method of cooking food in a pouch, created by folding parchment paper (or kraft paper or aluminum foil) around the ingredients which are then baked. Today’s recipe is for Mahi Mahi en Papillote cooked with a Mango Salsa. It’s simple and delicious and I have some photos for you of how to create the pouch.
This is the third month for Fish Friday Foodies to present fish recipes. Each month a food blogger hosts the event and decides on the “theme” for the month; this month’s subject being fish cooked en Papillote.
When this was announced, I was really excited because I love cooking en Papillote. It fits perfectly with my notion of eating with elegant simplicity. The pouches of parchment make for such a lovely presentation and turn even the simplest ingredients into something special; without a lot of effort.
I also knew immediately what I wanted to do for the recipe! For this dish, I combined fresh mango, lime zest and juice, shallot, salt and pepper with the fish. Once it’s baked and the pouch opened, I added fresh cilantro leaves. This combination creates a kind of mango salsa atop the fish. It was so delicious, while not masking the delicate fish it was baked on.
While it might seem complicated to bake something in a parchment pouch, it’s really very easy. The pouches are formed by removing a large rectangle of parchment from the roll. That rectangle is folded in half and a heart shape is cut from it. Here are some photos:
Once you have cut the heart shape, you open it and insert the ingredients into one side:
Then, the fun part begins. You fold the parchment over the top of the ingredients, and beginning at the round end with the edges of the parchment meeting, begin folding over the edges to seal it, working your way to the pointed end. Once you get to the pointed end, just twist and tuck the ends:
I hope you’ll try this method and this recipe. Both are simple and the Mahi Mahi en Papillote with Mango Salsa is wonderful.
P~
- FOR EACH FILET:
- 1 filet of Mahi Mahi, about ¾ inch thick
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
- ⅓ cup diced mango (this is about 1 cheek - the fat side of the mango)
- 1½ teaspoons minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- About 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, reserved
- Lime wedges, reserved
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cut parchment (or foil, or kraft paper) into a heart shape about, giving yourself at least an inch of space larger than the filet all the way around it.
- Open the parchment and place the filet on one side of the parchment.
- Add the ingredients in order to the top of the filet, first the salt, and lime zest.
- Then add the mango, minced shallot, lime juice and black pepper.
- Close the parchment with the edges meeting and begin folding from the round end to the pointed end to seal.
- Place the pouch on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet into the preheated oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and using a large spatula, remove the pouches to individual plates (depending on how many you have made).
- Cut the parchment and fold back the edges.
- Top the fish with the fresh cilantro leaves and wedges of lime.
- Serve immediately.
Be sure to check out all the other en Papillote recipe submitted for this theme below!
