Fish en Parchment 101 with Asian Veggies and Miso Sauce

This is for all of you fish lovers and haters as well. I stand by my theory that if you don't like seafood it's because you probably haven't had it properly cooked. Just a theory. Maybe you don't even realize that you've been over cooking your fish all this time. It's really easy to over cook fish, even a couple of minutes to long in the oven will dry it out. Most fish, especially the delicate white fish varieties and salmon is best served just cooked long enough that it flakes when you put a fork in it. Generally speaking, white fish should be cooked about 8 minutes per inch of thickness in an oven heated at 375F-400F.  

If you're worried about food safety and heating your fish thoroughly so you tend to over cook your fish, then this cooking method is for you. Cooking fish in parchment paper is one of my favorite ways to enjoy one of my favorite foods. It locks in moisture and flavor and it is harder to over cook your fish. Also it makes for a super quick clean up. 

Use your favorite fish, I used Hake:

Hake

Sole

Flounder

Tilapia

Red Snapper

Salmon

Halibut

Add a variety of your favorite Veggies, I used these:

In a deep baking dish, place a square of parchment about 8 inches.

Add your denser veggies on the bottom to act as a trivet and to cook them faster.

Place your fish on top and lightly season with salt, pepper, herbs and red chili flakes if you like.

Top with your other veggies

Pour about 1/4 cup of Veggie broth into the bottom of the parchment making sure the sides are folded up.

You can also add some white wine and/or lemon or lime juice if you like.

Now, fold the ends of the paper over the fish while pulling up one side.

Grab the other side of the paper and gently roll just enough to secure the contents. 

You want a bit of air in the 'basket' so will steam.

Place the dish in an oven pre-heated to 400F. and cook for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness

and density of the fish you are using. So tilapia and sole will take less time to cook then Hake or Halibut.

Enjoy your pretty little individually wrapped seafood dinner with some brown rice and {organic} miso sauce.

After dinner enjoy the fact that you don't have to scrub a baked on messy casserole dish.

For the miso sauce:

Choose an organic miso paste in the refrigerated section of your specialty store or Asian market. There are  a few different types of miso, yellow, red and brown. Yellow being the mildest flavor. Miso will keep in your fridge for a very long time, like 8 months or so and you can use it to flavor fish and veggies as well as add to soups. It is a fermented soy paste and is very, very good for your digestive tract and over all health. It can also be made from rice or barley.  Because it is fermented with a B12-synthesizing bacteria, miso has been commonly recommended as a B12 source for vegans.

You do NOT want to cook miso or it will destroy the live cultures in it which are what makes it good for you.


Warm  a cup of water for a minute, you should be able to touch it with the back of your finger to make sure it's not to hot.  Put a spoonful or two of miso paste in a bowl and add the water a few tablespoon's at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Nutrients in
Miso
1.00 oz (17.19 grams)

Nutrient%Daily Value

tryptophan9.3%

manganese7.5%

vitamin K6.3%

protein4%

dietary fiber3.7%

copper3.5%

omega 3 fatty acids3.3%

zinc2.9%

choline2.9%

Calories (34)1%