Fish and Summer Vegetables in a Foil Packet

Hello, welcome! Today kicks off our first week of vacation cooking on Djalali Cooks. We are at the Tybee House, so I am without all my favorite cookware and my well-stocked pantry. Also without my go-to grocery spots; I have to get creative and make do with what I can find. Of course we will visit some of our favorite spots to eat and drink while we are here, but we still do a lot of home cooking, even on vacation. So let’s get to today’s recipe: Fish and Summer Vegetables in a Foil Packet.

Roasting fish in a foil packet is the easiest way to get juicy, perfectly cooked fish. You can also do this on a grill; just set the foil packet over indirect heat and maintain a grill temperature of 400 degrees. It is hot as blazes outside today though, so I am going to roast this fish and veggies packet in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Prep the Vegetables

I have one zucchini that I cut into planks; one orange bell pepper that I have sliced into spears. Half a sweet onion, sliced thickly, on the short side – going from root to tip. Three scallions that I have trimmed and cut into large, 2-inch pieces. A lemon, sliced into wheels and two cloves of minced garlic. I prepped all the veggies and tossed them in a bowl. Then I have a long piece of foil that I have loosely pressed into a baking dish.

Evenly distribute the veggies in the foil, taking care to keep anything from falling out into the baking dish. Then sprinkle the minced garlic over the veggies. Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Then, place springs of thyme on top of the veggies.

Dot the veggies with about 2 tablespoons of butter, cut into thin pats. Then drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the veggies.

Then lay the fish on top. I have a thick piece of Pacific Cod. But salmon or halibut would also be good choices. Salt and pepper the fish with just a pinch of sea salt and a few cranks of fresh cracked pepper.

Closing up the Packet

Then, gather up the long sides of the foil and bring them together. Fold them over multiple times to close the top. Working one side at a time, gather up the bottom, pinch and roll the bottom into the top. Repeat for the other side.

Place the whole thing on the center rack in the oven. The baking dish will catch any drips. Bake for 20 minutes if you have a relatively thin piece. If your piece of fish is thick, like mine, check it for doneness at the 30 minute mark. Fish is ready when it’s opaque and flaky. My fish and veggies were perfectly cooked at 40 minutes.

Fish and Summer Vegetables in a Foil Packet

The beauty of this dish is that you can serve it just like this, in the foil packet. Just pluck out the thyme sprigs and garnish with fresh tarragon leaves and flat leaf parsley, right in the foil packet. I wanted to plate it so that I could spoon some of the olive oil/butter and juices over the fish.

A Light Summer Dish

This was enough for two with a side dish of rice, or some good crusty bread to soak up that garlicky, buttery olive oil. The fish is moist, juicy and tender. The veggies retain their textures and have taken on a smooth buttery flavor. Fresh tarragon and parsley add a pop of cooling herbal flavor.

This was so delicious, it really exceeded expectations. If you want to check out what we cooked while we were here in January, check out this Antipasto Salad, it was one of my favorites from the last trip. Don’t forget to follow my stories on Instagram for more of our time on Tybee. Take care and be well! xo Kelly

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Fish and Summer Vegetables in a Foil Packet

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Dinner, Main Course – American

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 1-2

Prep Time: 15 Minutes – Cooking Time: 20-40 Minutes – Total Time: 35-55 Minutes

Tender fish and summer vegetables roasted in a foil packet with butter and olive oil. Fresh tarragon adds a pop of cooling herbal flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 Zucchini, sliced into half lengthwise, then into planks
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper, sliced into spears
• 1/2 small Sweet Onion, sliced into thick half circles
• 3 Scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 Lemon, sliced into rounds
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt, plus a pinch more for the fish
• Fresh Cracked Pepper, plus more for the fish
• 4-5 Sprigs Thyme
• 2 tbsp. Salted Butter, cut into pats
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 10-11 oz. Cod or Halibut Fillet
• Fresh Tarragon Leaves for garnish
• Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped for garnish

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2

Loosely line a wide, shallow baking dish with a long sheet of foil.

3

Evenly scatter veggies on the foil, taking care to keep the veggies from sliding out the sides of the foil, into the baking dish.

4

Sprinkle minced garlic over the veggies and season the veggies with sea salt and black pepper.

5

Lay the thyme sprigs in various spots on the veggies.

6

Dot the veggies with the butter pats and drizzle the olive oil over the veggies.

7

Place the cod fillet on top of the veggies, in the center. Season the fish with a pinch of sea salt and more black pepper.

8

Gather up the long sides of the foil and bring them together. Fold them over multiple times to close the top. Working one side at a time, gather up the bottom, pinch and roll the bottom into the top. Repeat for the other side.

9

Place the whole thing on the center rack in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Check for doneness and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the fish is opaque, tender and flakes easily.

10

Remove and discard the thyme stems and garnish with fresh tarragon leaves and chopped parsley.

Notes

If your fish fillet is less than 10 ounces, or if it is very thin, check for doneness at the 20 minute mark.