Seafood En Papillote
Submitted by cat & pat's
Flounder, shrimp, and sea scallops baked in parchment pouches with mushrooms, wine sauce, and fresh herbs. A stunning French en papillote technique that’s easier than it looks.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsEn papillote sounds fancy, but really it just means “in paper," and it’s one of the most forgiving ways to cook seafood.
Flounder fillets get topped with shrimp, sea scallops, sliced mushrooms, and green onions, then draped with a silky sauce made from fish stock, red wine, and egg yolks.
Everything gets sealed in parchment paper pouches and baked until the paper puffs up and turns golden brown.
When you slit the pouch open at the table, a cloud of fragrant steam escapes and the whole room smells like a Parisian bistro.
Chef’s Tips
- Seal the parchment edges tightly by folding and crimping so no steam can escape during baking
- Temper the egg yolks by adding a little hot sauce to them first, then stir them back in so they don’t scramble
- You can assemble the pouches ahead of time and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake
- Aluminum foil works if you don’t have parchment paper, but you’ll miss the dramatic puffing at the table
Variations
- Swap the red wine for a dry white like Sauvignon Blanc for a lighter, more traditional sauce
- Try salmon or halibut in place of the flounder for a heartier version
- Add a handful of cherry tomatoes or thin asparagus spears for extra color and freshness
Ingredients
Directions
PREHEAT OVEN TO 400℉ (200℃).
Rinse flounder, shrimp and scallops and set aside on a paper towel.
Melt butter in a skillet, stir in the flour and cook until tan.
Stirring constantly, gradually add the fish stock. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, stirring as needed.
Add the wine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add a little of the hot sauce to the egg yolks and then stir the yolks back into the sauce.
Stir for a moment over low heat without overcooking the yolks.
Strain if necessary.
You can make 4 individual pouches or one large one.
Cut 8 small or 2 large sheets of parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Brush half with the oil.
Place the fillets side by side in the middle of the large sheet, or one fillet on each small sheet.
Place ¼ of the shrimp, scallops, mushroom, green onion and parsley on top of each fillet.
Spoon the sauce liberally over the seafood and top with the reserved green onion.
Top with a similar sheet of parchment paper, securing tightly, so that no juice can escape.
May be made ahead to this point and refrigerated.
Place the pouches on an oiled baking sheet and bake until the paper browns, about 10 minutes.
Serve in the pouch slitting the pouch at the table, or open the pouch and turn onto a plate or the serving platter just before serving.
Comments
How much wine??? Recipe doesn't indicate.
Thanks for the comment, I just updated the recipe, should be 1 cup of red wine. Enjoy!!