Last week my very generous friend Jenn dropped off a Nordstrom shopping bag filled with frozen halibut. Jenn’s husband just got back from a guys’ fishing trip in Alaska, and judging by the pictures and the fish we received, I’d say he’s quite the fisherman.
Baking fish in parchment packets, or en papillote, is one of my favorite methods of cooking because there are no dishes to clean up and all the prep can be done hours in advance.
 This is definitely not California… beautiful white mountains. image from the Halls
 That’s a lot of halibut. image from the Halls
One of my favorite recipes ever is this scallop one with tomatoes and ginger from Food and Wine. I wanted to create similar flavors here, but forgot the ginger – oops! Try adding a tablespoon of minced fresh ginger and let me know how it goes. To prepare lemongrass, peel away the outer pieces and trim an inch off the bottom of the bulb, then slice thinly or chop.

Lemongrass and Cherry Tomato Halibut en Papillote 
printer friendly recipe 

Serves 4

4 (6 ounce) halibut filets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer pieces removed, trimmed, and finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced 
*1 tablespoon minced ginger (I recommend trying this, though I forgot to add it to mine)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut 4 (15 x 24 inch) pieces of parchment paper and fold in half. Open parchment and place one piece of halibut on one half of each piece of parchment. Season with salt and pepper. Top halibut with chopped lemongrass, minced garlic, and whole tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Wrap other half of parchment over the fish and twist the parchment paper pieces together to seal. Place packets on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Let rest for five minutes.

Be sure to come visit me on Sunday – I have some great 4th of July recipes I can’t wait to share with you!