5. Snapper "En Papillote" with Ginger Truffles
For a more substantial offering Chef Rodney Dunn, owner of Australia’s Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania, offers a fish dish in a parcel – very fitting for a Christmas theme. Fillets of snapper are given a unique seasoning of Asian flavors, truffles, and some fine strips of vegetables before being wrapped in parchment and brought to the table for diners to open – releasing the heady aromas in a waft of steam.
A fun twist on this dish would be to serve party-style – cut the fish into smaller pieces and wrap into miniature parcels to be served on a platter. Your imagination is your only limit. Try with any fish or seafood and your own flavor combinations.
Snapper "En Papillote" with Ginger Truffles (Serves 6)
Ingredients:
- 6 × 220 g snapper fi¬llets, skin and bones removed
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¬fine julienne strips
- 350 g turnip (about 1 1/2 turnips), peeled and cut into ¬fine julienne strips
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced ginger
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 80 g butter, cut into 6 pieces
- 15 g shaved black truffle, plus extra to garnish
- 120 ml light soy sauce
- 120 ml Chinese rice wine
- 8 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Using a sharp knife, trim the snapper fillets. Tear off six 40 cm square pieces of baking paper.
- Combine the carrot, turnip, garlic and ginger in a bowl. Place a pile of the vegetables in the middle of each piece of paper and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Place a piece of snapper on each and top with butter and shaved truffle. Drizzle each portion with a tablespoon of soy sauce and rice wine.
- Working with one parcel at a time, bring two facing sides of the paper together in the middle over the fish and fold over about 2 cm, then continue to fold until it is just above the fish.
- Fold the paper at the open ends under the ¬fish and place on a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining parcels.
- Place the baking tray in the oven and cook for 10-15minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. It is best to take them out just before they are cooked as the residual heat will ¬finish the job.
- To serve, place a parcel on each plate, tear open and scatter with spring onion and shaved truffle.
Extracted from The Truffle Cookbook by Rodney Dunn
Photos courtesy of Luke Burgess
