- Seafood Mains
- Grilled Fish
- Fish
- Memorial Day
Light and aromatic, and this fish won't stick to the grill.
By
Joshua Bousel
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/josh-bousel-JoshuaBousel-416ba63313244942a6e2d27ead49bfb3.jpg "Grilled Fish in Parchment Recipe (1)")
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated March 15, 2024
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Why It Works
- Grilling with parchment is a simple way to grill fish without it sticking to the grate.
- Everything in the pouch is gently steamed, so flavors and aromas build yielding a fresh, bright, herbal, and lemony fish.
A friend of mine was planning a special birthday dinner for her mother recently, and when I asked what she was making, she responded with a resolute "fish in parchment," as if it there were no other options even worthy of consideration. Such a resounding vote of confidence of fish done in this method piqued my curiosity, so I set off to try it out, but of course, done on the grill.
A delicate food in structure, parchment pouches are an excellent choice for grilling fish without the terror ofcooking directly on the gratesand subjecting yourself to the all too real fears of the seafood sticking or falling apart on the grill. It also solves the problem of being able to cook less grillable fish, like sole and flounder.
The main attraction, though, is the way you can build flavor. Cooked in parchment, the contents of the pouch are gently steamed, and the aroma and flavors given off by each ingredient permeates lightly through each other, ending with a meal that's the sum of all its parts.
We tried out a bunch of different combos when cooking these fillets of sole, but my favorite was one that consisted of thin slices of yellow and green squash, lemon, and dill.Light and fresh, the fish was perfectly tender, having a slight lemony tang and herbal notes from the dill.I could instantly tell why this method of cooking seafood was so treasured by my friend—simple to put together, but with results that tasted impressive enough to make it feel like something really special.
July 2012
Recipe Details
Grilled Fish in Parchment Recipe
Prep20 mins
Cook45 mins
Active45 mins
Total65 mins
Serves4 servings
Ingredients
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/8" slices
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/8" slices
2 lemons, cut into 1/4" slices
Four 4 to 6 ounce fillets of sole, or other white fish
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed juice from 2 to 3 lemons
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 sprigs dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Fold a 15-inch square of parchment paper in half and cut out a half heart shape. Repeat with remaining 3 parchment squares.
Open parchment and line middle of one side with alternating slices of zucchini and yellow squash, leaving about 1-inch of space around edges of parchment. Season squash lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange 2-3 lemon slices on top of squash. Arrange fish on top of lemon slices and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 2 sprigs of dill on top of fish, then drizzle with lemon juice and oil.
Fold parchment over and seal by rolling edges together all the way around. Repeat with remaining parchment and ingredients to create 3 more pouches.
Light one chimney 2/3 full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, light half the burners of a gas grill to medium-high heat. Cover and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place parchment pouches on cool side of grill, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, fish should flake and be opaque all the way through when done. Remove from grill, open pouches, and serve immediately.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__recipes__20120711-214173-fish-in-parchment-step-1-d219180b7b1e4d3e89538c88234b478a.jpg "Grilled Fish in Parchment Recipe (3)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__recipes__20120711-214173-fish-in-parchment-step-2-f842b6c13fcf4127bfe06b3ee4452d73.jpg "Grilled Fish in Parchment Recipe (4)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__recipes__20120711-214173-fish-in-parchment-step-3-cc3a36fb276f484695586071830f9e73.jpg "Grilled Fish in Parchment Recipe (5)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__recipes__20120711-214173-fish-in-parchment-step-4-a1ef264ec0ed4a4284ede776e98d50a3.jpg "Grilled Fish in Parchment Recipe (6)")
Special Equipment
Grill, parchment paper (four 15-inch squares)
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 314 | Calories |
| 14g | Fat |
| 34g | Carbs |
| 22g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 314 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 14g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 11% |
| Cholesterol 64mg | 21% |
| Sodium 648mg | 28% |
| Total Carbohydrate 34g | 12% |
| Dietary Fiber 8g | 29% |
| Total Sugars 16g | |
| Protein 22g | |
| Vitamin C 141mg | 705% |
| Calcium 121mg | 9% |
| Iron 2mg | 12% |
| Potassium 954mg | 20% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
