Steamed sea bream in paper parcels is an easy, quick, and healthy recipe to prepare that can be customized to one’s preferences. Sea bream is a white fish rich in nutrients, but with a low caloric intake. Steamed in paper parcels, the sea bream is even healthier, but also very tasty.
Steaming the fish in paper parcels allows for preserving the flavor and juices of the veggies and the fish. Moreover, the fish is cooked evenly and it turns out very tender and tasty. Although it is cooked in a frying pan, the fish is not fried, it is steamed. Thus, it is a very healthy way of cooking fish while the meat is flavored harmoniously.
You can follow this recipe and cook other types of fish using this paper parcel steaming method. Use the same veggies and herbs to cook fish fillets of salmon, trout, halibut, or whatever you like the most.
Moreover, if you are a pescatarian, or simply like to vary your diet with delicious fish, the recipe list below is targeted to you:
- Smoked Fish Pie Recipe
- Fish Casserole with Butter Lemon Sauce
- Baked Fish Bowl with Chimichurri Sauce
- Salmon Soup
- Baked Cod with Creamy Sauce
- Air Fryer Salmon with Skin
Which ingredients are best to steam sea bream?
To flavor up the fish, you may use whatever veggies you like most. Just follow one simple rule: make sure the cooking time of the veggies is about the same. For example, tomatoes will cook faster than carrots. But, there is a way out, just slice the carrots really thin and they will cook much faster.
For this recipe of steamed sea bream in paper parcels, I used one of my favorite recipes and the ones I consider most suitable for aromatizing the fish. Also, a major accent is put on the herbs. See below the used ingredients:
- Bell peppers, yellow and red
- Lemon, thin slices of it
- Garlic, a few cloves
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh parsley and dill
- Salt & pepper
- Sweet paprika
- Garlic powder
- Olive oil, if you like
How to prepare sea bream in paper parcels?
When steamed in paper parcels, the sea bream can be cooked with butter as well as olive oil. However, if you are looking to reduce the number of calories or simply wish to eat clean, just skip the oils and cook the fish with lemon with a few drops of white wine.
Prepare one piece of parchment for each fish you intend to cook. Make sure the paper is large enough to wrap tightly the fish in it. Place the sea bream in the middle of the paper and rub in the spices such as salt, pepper, sweet paprika, and granulated garlic. Sprinkle each fish with a drizzle of olive oil. At this point stuff the fish with lemon slices, a sprig of rosemary, and garlic slices. Top the fish with slices of the bell pepper and again, with some thin lemon slices. You may replace lemon with some white wine if you like. The wine also adds great value to the fish’s taste.
Finally, fold over the ends of the paper sheets to enclose the fish and veggies filling. Make sure to seal the edges well. Carefully lift the paper “wallets” and place them on the frying pan.
How to steam sea bream in paper parcels?
As soon as you’ve transferred the paper parcels to the pan, pour about 1/2 cup of water and turn the stove on. Cover the pan/skillet with a lid and let it cook on medium to low heat for 15-20 minutes. If the fish is smaller, 15 minutes will be enough to be thoroughly cooked. When the fish is larger, it will take up to 20 minutes to get the same result.
Note, if you see that the water has fully evaporated and there is still time left for cooking, add water to the pan to avoid the sea bream from getting burnt.
How to serve steamed sea bream in parcels?
Remove the sea bream parcels from the pan and carefully unwrap the foil. Keep in mind that it will release steam. Serve the sea bream parcels as such while hot, as an option, just drizzle some balsamic glaze. You may accompany the healthy steamed fish with grilled vegetable or rice. Don’t skip the wine. Dry white wine is always a great companion for fish.
Steamed Sea Bream In Paper Parcels
Equipment
- 2 parchment paper sheets
Ingredients
- 30 oz sea bream 2 small or medium fishes
- 2 bell peppers small or medium
- 1/2 lemon thinly sliced
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 1 handful fresh dill
- 2 sticks fresh rosemary
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil optional
Spices
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp granulated garlic
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Clean the fish if necessary
- Place fish on a large parchment paper sheet
- Drizzle some olive oil onto the fish
- Wash and slice the bell peppers and the lemon
- Rub the spices all over the fish inside out
- Stuff with herbs and sliced lemon and bell peppers strips
- Top with more bell pepper strips and lemon
- Fold over the ends of the paper sheets to enclose the fish and veggies filling
- Place the parcels on a frying pan
- Pour in 1/2 cup water into the frying pan and cover with a lid
- Cook for 15-20 minutes on medium to low heat
- Serve with pleasure
