The perfume of the typical Thai aromatics of galangal, lemongrass, coriander and kaffir lime leaves is infused in the tender flaky fish.  The lime-nuoc nam dressing is well suited for oily white fish,

Chef’s tip: Baking en papilotte is a simple solution to steaming fish, especially if you have a big piece of fish and limited pot sizes.  There are many ways to crimp the parchment paper, some requires no staples.  I just use the staple approach to create a fool-proof leak-proof envelope.

Ingredients

Garlic Oil:
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup of oil

Sauce:
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1-2 lime – make about 1/3 cup juice
3 tablespoons water

Aromatics:
2 red jalapeno, seeded, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 coriander/cilantro roots, or 4 tablespoons cilantro stems, minced finely
1 stalk scallions, white part minced, green part julienned about 1 inch long for garnish
1 inch ginger, peeled, julienned finely
1 inch galangal, peeled, grated
3 kaffir lime leaves, chiffonade finely
3 stalks lemon grass – white part only, cut into 2 lengthwise, smashed

Fish:
4 pieces of parchment paper – 12 X 20 inch
2 lbs escolar / butter fish fillet/ sustainably-farmed chilean sea bass (or any fatty white fish, too)
A handful of cherry tomatoes

Garnish:
1 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup of basil, preferably Thai

Preparing the infused oils and sauce
1.    Coarsely chop garlic. Heat oil.  Fry garlic till golden.  Drain and set aside.
2.    Mix sauce ingredients with 4 tablespoons garlic oil.  Set aside.
Preparing the, aromatics and garnish
3.    Mince jalapeno, garlic, cilantro stems, and scallion white part.
4.    Grate galangal, and using a mortar and pestle, grind cilantro roots into a paste, if using.
5.    Julienne ginger and chiffonade kaffir
6.    Julienne scallions green parts, coarsely chop cilantro leaves and chiffonade basil.  Reserve for garnish.
Preparing the fish en papillote
7.    Preheat oven 425F*
8.    Remove fish bones and pins.
9.    Take a large piece of parchment paper 30 x 22 inch, fold into half, and lay it flat on a baking sheet.  Unfold the parchment and lay pieces of smashed lemon grass at the base followed by half of the aromatic mixture.
10.    Place a fish on top.  Top with remaining aromatic mixture.
11.    Drizzle the sauce on top.
12.    Next sprinkle on julienned ginger and kaffir leaves.  Toss in the tomatoes.
13.    Cover the fish with the other half of the parchment paper and fold over edges, stapling if necessary to create an airtight seal.
14.    Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, depending on thickness of fish, rotating once.
15.    Open the package carefully, avoiding the steam.  Sprinkle with basil, cilantro, and green scallions. Drizzle with a teaspoon garlic oil.  Serve immediately.

Serves: 6

Tags: Fish, Thai