Fish Fillets en Papillote

Step 1

1 Position two racks so they are roughly in the center of the oven, with space between them, and preheat to 400 degrees

Step 2

2 Halve the lemon and juice one half; reserve the other half for serving

Step 3

3 Using a vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini and carrot into thin, wide ribbons

Step 4

4 In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, carrot, shallot and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the lemon juice, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt until evenly coated

Step 5

5 Cut four (12-by-15-inch) pieces of parchment paper

Step 6

6 (The size of the parchment needed may vary depending on the shape of the fillets

Step 7

7 ) Fold each sheet in half lengthwise; and then open flat

Step 8

8 Evenly divide the vegetables, garlic and bay leaves, if using, on one half of each piece of parchment, near the fold

Step 9

9 Drizzle a bit of the drippings from the vegetable bowl on top of each pile of vegetables

Step 10

10 Pat each fish fillet dry

Step 11

11 Use the remaining oil to coat each fillet and sprinkle each with the remaining salt and pepper

Step 12

12 Place the fillets on top of the vegetable piles, then dot the fish with butter

Step 13

13 Drizzle 1 tablespoon of wine, if using, over each fillet

Step 14

14 Fold the empty parchment half over the top of the fillets and roll the edges, crimping to seal tightly

Step 15

15 The paper can touch the fish, but should not be pressed against it, so the packets have room to expand

Step 16

16 Using a spatula, carefully transfer 4 bags to one or two rimmed baking sheets (depending on the size of fillets you may need a second baking sheet)

Step 17

17 Bake for about 12 minutes for thin fillets, 15 minutes if the fillets are more than 1-inch thick

Step 18

18 The fish will be opaque and flake and the vegetables will be crisp-tender

Step 19

19 To check, remove one packet and gently use a fork to flake the fish, resealing and returning to the oven as needed

Step 20

20 Meanwhile, slice the remaining lemon half into 4 wedges

Step 21

21 To serve, place a packet on each dinner plate

Step 22

22 Using scissors or a very sharp paring knife, cut open the packet and fold back the opened flap, being careful of any hot steam that escapes

Step 23

23 Sprinkle over the fresh basil and a few more grounds of fresh pepper, if using, and serve with a wedge of lemon

Step 24

24 NOTE: If using bay leaves, discard them before eating