16. Trout en Oui Papa

I've been seafood-crazy lately, and I like it every which way: raw, seared, grilled and everything in between. Though I'd never say no to a spicy tuna roll or a bagel with lox, my absolute favourite is steelhead trout. It's similar to a mild sockeye with a softer (and somehow more moist) texture. As I mentioned before, I prefer oily fish because you don't have to try so hard to coax flavour out of it. A quick steam and a squeeze of lemon, maybe parsley and a pat of butter and you have my ideal meal.

The other day I prepared just that: a fresh fillet of steelhead seasoned with nothing more than a touch of salt, lemon and a tiny pat of butter, wrapped up in parchment paper in a preparation known as en papillote. The parcel of fish came out perfectly steamed and I confirmed that I'm set in my ways when it comes to my favourite fish. 

To cook en papillote: pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squares of parchment paper or foil. Lay on the fish, followed by whatever seasonings you like (lemon, pepper, lemon pepper) and a dab of butter. Fold parcel tightly and place in oven for about 10 minutes. My fillet was finished at the 15 minute mark, but it was a fat fillet and now I'm fat. 

I also loved one of the sides: couscous. I'm not always the biggest fan of the stuff since it's so bland and I always cook too much of it, but this time I added a hit of bouillon, diced zucchini and red pepper and a handful of corn niblets. 

The next day I topped the leftovers with grilled chicken and had one of the most enjoyable lunches in recent memory. 

Have a safe and happy weekend, and don't ever forget to Papa-Yo: