Halibut en Papillote with White Wine and Lemon Vegetables
If you want something that feels elegant without being even a little fussy, this Halibut en Papillote is it. Baked in parchment with cherry tomatoes, fennel, capers, and lemon slices, the halibut stays tender, juicy, and full of bright, fresh flavor. Plus, cleanup is a breeze thanks to this French cooking method using parchment paper! Finished with a fresh parsley and dill topper, this recipe feels bright, seasonal, and a little bit special without a lot of fuss.
This halibut en papillote recipe would work with almost any piece of fish. Snapper and salmon would work well, but my favorite type of fish for this is definitely halibut, which is a firm white fish! You can also add a variety of veggies to the sealed packet – green beans, mushrooms, carrots, leeks, or zucchini.. whatever you want! I like to change it up based on what’s currently in season. The same goes for herbs. I’ll use fresh thyme from my garden, or, in the summer months, my favorite, basil.
The most important thing to focus on with this fish en papillote is seasonal, fresh ingredients. I grew up eating a lot of fish, and lemon slices and olive oil are always close by when I’m cooking seafood! You can also add Castelvetrano olives for a more Mediterranean vibe. If you’re looking for more seafood dishes, try some of my favorites like oven-roasted cod with tomatoes and olives, poached cod, dijon salmon, or salmon puttanesca!
Recipe Highlights: Halibut en Papillote
- Inspiration: This recipe is inspired by the French technique of cooking fish en papillote, or in parchment paper. It’s a classic method that gently steams the fish with citrus, aromatics, and vegetables.
- Best Served For: Date night, dinner with friends, or a weeknight when you want something fresh and a little more elevated.
- What Makes It Special: The parchment keeps the halibut tender and creates a light, flavorful sauce right in the packet. The herby lemon salad on top adds freshness and a bright finish.
Ingredients
- The Halibut: Halibut is a lean, delicate fish, which is exactly why this method works so well. Cooking this fish fillet in parchment helps protect it from drying out and keeps the texture tender and silky. Because halibut has a mild, clean flavor, it also takes really well to bright ingredients like lemon, herbs, white wine, and capers without getting lost.
- The Vegetables and Sauce: The fennel, cherry tomatoes, shallot, garlic cloves, capers, lemon wedges, white wine, Dijon, olive oil, and butter all work together to create the base of the dish right inside the parchment packet. As everything cooks, the tomatoes soften, the fennel turns sweet and tender, and the liquid mixes with the butter and mustard to create a light, flavorful sauce. It feels fresh and elegant, and it also does an important job by providing the halibut with the moisture it needs as it bakes.
- The Herby Salad Topper: The parsley and dill salad added at the end completely wakes the dish up. I love the contrast here because the fish and vegetables come out of the oven soft, warm, and silky, and then the fresh herbs bring brightness, color, and a little bit of texture. That final lemony finish keeps the whole dish tasting fresh and balanced rather than rich or heavy.
How to Make Halibut in Parchment Paper
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius). Place a rimmed sheet pan in the oven while it heats. Tear off two large pieces of parchment paper, each about 16 inches long. Fold each piece in half like a book, then unfold it. Season the halibut with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
2. On one side of each parchment piece, layer the fennel, cherry tomatoes, capers, shallot, and garlic. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the vegetables and add crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
3. Place a halibut fillet on top of each vegetable pile.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, white wine, and Dijon mustard until smooth. Spoon the mixture evenly over the fish and vegetables.
5. Then drizzle each packet with olive oil. Dot the fish with the butter pieces.
6. Close the parchment over the fish and crimp the edges tightly all the way around to form a sealed packet. You want a tight seal so it puffs and steams properly. Carefully place the packets on the hot sheet pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness. The parchment should puff up.
7. While the fish bakes, make the herb salad. In a small bowl, toss the parsley and dill with olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
8. Let the packets rest for 2 minutes, then cut them open carefully since the steam is hot. Spoon some of the juices over the fish, then top each fillet with the herb salad. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon if you want it extra bright.
Why I Love This Method for Halibut
Halibut does best with gentle cooking, and that is exactly what en papillote gives you. Once the parchment packets are sealed, the fish cooks in the hot steam created by the vegetables, lemon juice, wine, and butter inside the packet. It is a simple technique, but it does a lot at once: it keeps the halibut moist, concentrates the flavors, and creates a light sauce right in the parchment.
Expert Tips From My Coastal Kitchen
- Choose fresh halibut fillets with even thickness: When working with a quick-cooking fish like halibut, even thickness is key. It is one of the easiest ways to make sure both fillets finish at the same time.
- Keep the vegetables thin and delicate: Fennel and shallot should be sliced thinly so they soften in the short baking time and melt into the sauce rather than sitting underneath the fish too firm.
- Take the parchment seal seriously: En papillote depends on steam. A tightly crimped packet keeps the halibut moist and lets it cook in all those bright, buttery, wine-spiked juices.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this as a main course with rice, couscous, or potatoes so you have something to catch all of those bright, buttery juices. A green salad on the side keeps everything feeling fresh.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it! Tag @alliehagerty on Instagram and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
Halibut en Papillote with White Wine and Lemon Vegetables
Equipment
- Rimmed sheet pan
- parchment paper
- cutting board
- Knife
- microplane
Ingredients
- 2 6-ounce skinless halibut fillets
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 small fennel bulb cored and very thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- 1 small shallot thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Herb Salad
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius). Place a rimmed sheet pan in the oven while it heats. Tear off two large pieces of parchment paper, about 16 inches long each. Fold each piece in half like a book, then open it back up. Season the halibut with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- On one side of each parchment piece, layer the fennel, cherry tomatoes, capers, shallot, and garlic. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the vegetables and add crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
- Place a halibut fillet on top of each vegetable pile.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, white wine, and Dijon mustard until smooth. Spoon the mixture evenly over the fish and vegetables.
- Then drizzle each packet with olive oil. Dot the fish with the butter pieces.
- Close the parchment over the fish and crimp the edges tightly all the way around to form a sealed packet. You want a tight seal so it puffs and steams properly. Carefully place the packets on the hot sheet pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness. The parchment should puff up.
- While the fish bakes, make the herb salad. In a small bowl, toss the parsley and dill with olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
- Let the packets rest for 2 minutes, then cut them open carefully since the steam is hot. Spoon some of the juices over the fish, then top each fillet with the herb salad. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon if you want it extra bright.
Notes
- Use halibut fillets that are similar in thickness so they cook evenly.
- Open the packets carefully since hot steam will escape.
- Spoon the juices over the fish before serving because that liquid in the packet is part of the sauce.