Cooking in paper is nothing new, but it makes for a super-simple way of serving delicate fillets of fish, said Nathan Outlaw. Marrying fish and shellfish with beer may sound a bit strange, but trust me – it works so well. I use a wheat beer because it is not too bitter, but has a touch of acidity and freshness that works beautifully with the fish.
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the leeks and bacon:
- 100g unsalted butter
- olive oil
- 8 slices smoked streaky bacon, finely sliced
- 2 leeks, washed and shredded
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 150ml wheat beer
- 4 x 150g skin-on hake portions
- 2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
- 20 live mussels, cleaned and beards removed
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- zest of 2 oranges
- 8 tbsp wheat beer
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- To cook the leeks, heat a large pan over a medium heat and add the butter and a drizzle of oil. When the butter is bubbling, add the bacon and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. When the bacon has started to brown, add the leeks and cook for another 5 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Now add the garlic and cook for 1 min, then pour in the beer. Cook for about 5 mins until the beer has reduced, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C/425F/gas mark 7. On a clean work surface, lay out four large sheets of baking parchment (roughly 30 x 30cm/12x 12 inches). Divide the leek and bacon mix into equal portions and arrange over one half of each sheet of parchment.
- Season the hake portions with salt, pepper and ground coriander seeds and place on top of the leeks together with five mussels in each parcel, a sprig of thyme and an equal share of the orange zest.
- Fold over the paper and crimp the edges so they are firmly sealed, leaving you with four parcels.
- Make a small opening to allow you to pour 2 tbsp of beer into each parcel. Seal the hole by folding it down tightly. If the quality of the paper isn’t great, you may need to use two sheets for each parcel or add a layer of foil on the outside. The aim is that the moisture inside doesn’t escape – this is crucial.
- Place the hake parcels onto a baking tray or two and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Then remove the parcels and serve immediately. Allow whoever is eating to open their own parcel – that’s the magic and the drama.
Taken from “On Fish: a Seafood Handbook”, by Nathan Outlaw.
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