Recipe: John dory parcels

Baked Johnny parcels
 

Ingredients:
 

Seasoning Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

• 1 tbsp capers, chopped

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/2 fresh fennel bulb (optional)

• 1 clove of garlic, crushed

• Zest of a lemon or lime

• 1tsp olive oil

• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

• 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes

• 4 fresh john dory fillets (snapper will work well too)

• Salt and pepper

• 1tsp olive oil

• Juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
 

Like many of us, our From Sea to Sizzle columnist Bea Bagnall developed a taste for cooking kaimoana via opportunity and necessity.

She and partner Tony Orton have travelled the world together, crewing on several vessels where Tony ran the bridge and Bea the galley.

Bea developed a great range of recipes as they globe-trotted about. Although an accomplished angler in her own right, Bea likes nothing more that experimenting with the catch in the galley, specialising in simple recipes with commonly-available ingredients.

With her and Tony’s home base now firmly established in Mangawhai, where they run a charter operation and a lodge, fresh ingredients from both the land and sea are never far away.

Bea’s recipes reflect this…

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

2. Cut baking paper large enough so you can wrap each fish fillet individually.

3. In a large bowl add the first six ingredients and drizzle with 1tsp olive oil.

4. Clean and pat dry the fish fillets and place each fillet on a piece of baking paper and season with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the sun-dried tomato mixture amongst the fish fillets. Sprinkle each fillet with the red chilli flakes, lemon juice and place the rosemary sprig on top.

5. To encase the fish, fold the baking paper long sides, first joining them at the top and folding them together then fold the ends tucking them underneath the fish. (like wrapping a present).

6. Place in the oven for eight minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish fillets. Be careful when opening the parcels as the steam will escape and can cause minor burns.

7. Serve the baked snapper with home-made fries and side salad. ENJOY.

Serves 4