Simple But Elegant Fish Course Ideas For Valentine’s Day

Ok guys, here’s a simple but elegant fish dish you can prepare that will really impress your mate. Easy to do, dramatic presentation, and you get to cut out heart shapes! That’s right. You heard me. Heart shapes. Figure you only have to do this once a year. Next time you make this could be for Superbowl Sunday and you could cut out football shapes.

What I’m talking about is fish en papillote. That is a fancy French term for “wrapped in parchment.” It’s a low-fat way to prepare moist and flavorful fish and impress your Valentine at the same time. The fish is enclosed in paper and steams in its own juices and the other tasty ingredients we’re going to include. Vegetables and fish will cook together, meaning you don’t have to cook a separate vegetable dish–less clean up for you!

This recipe calls for using parchment paper. You can substitute foil, but if you do, you won’t want to add anything acidic, such as citrus juice, wine or tomatoes because the acids can react with the foil and make your food taste bad. For this particular recipe, I suggest you stick with parchment paper. Parchment is paper that has been impregnated with silicone so that it is non-stick. It is available at the regular grocery store in rolls next to the foil and wax paper.

This recipe makes for a modest fish course. If you want this to be the main course, by all means, use larger fillets.

Fish en Papillote

2 - 12” squares of parchment paper
Extra virgin olive oil or olive oil spray
2 - 4-oz fillets of white fish (such as sole or snapper)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 oz. dry white wine
2 lemon slices
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
2 sprigs of dill, or about ½ teaspoon dried dill
About 16-20 thin asparagus spears

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, F.

Fold each square of parchment in half and cut out a heart shape. You have all done this before—in school when you made Valentine cards.

Open each heart and brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil or spray with olive oil spray.

Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Wash asparagus and break off the woody ends. Just bend them; they will naturally break where they should. Discard the ends. Lightly spray olive oil on the asparagus and toss with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper and the lemon zest.

Divide the asparagus in half. Put half of the asparagus on each of the hearts, just to one side of the center of each heart.

Put one piece of fish on top of each bundle of asparagus. Top with one sprig of dill (or half of the dried dill), a slice of lemon and either ½ of the butter or a light drizzle of olive oil. Splash half the wine on top of each piece of fish.

Now, to wrap up these packets: fold the top of the heart over the fish and asparagus. At the top end of the heart, away from the point, fold up both edges (top and bottom) and crease well. Move down about ½ inch and fold up the edges, overlapping your first fold. Continue folding and creasing all around the parchment heart until you get to the point. Fold and crease the point twice. You now have successfully wrapped your fish en papillote.

Place the packets side by side on a baking sheet, making sure the packets aren’t touching.

Bake in the center of the oven until the packets are well puffed and the fish is cooked, about 10-12 minutes.

To serve, put a packet on your sweetheart’s plate, place in front of her, and with a dramatic flourish and a “watch out for the steam,” carefully slice the packet open with a sharp knife. You watch out, too—the steam will be very hot.

Alternative

For a more straightforward but just as tasty fish course, you can make a simple baked fish dish. As with all of these Valentine’s ideas, you do what you feel comfortable doing. Maybe go all out for the cheese course and the dessert and use my short cut ideas for the rest.

If you’re feeling very confident, go for each of the more involved presentations. No matter how you decide to mix and match the courses with your comfort level, your Valentine will be thrilled by your efforts, and after all, that is the whole point.

Mayonnaise Baked Fish

2 - 4 to 6 oz fish fillets (I suggest halibut or Chilian seabass)
1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, F.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Lightly brush the fish with the olive oil or melted butter.

Mix together the rest of the ingredients, except the panko, to make a paste. Spread half on each fillet. Press half of the panko on evenly on top of each fillet.

Bake for about 10 minutes, just until fish is opaque. Turn on the broiler and finish for 2 minutes, until panko is golden brown and mayonnaise has puffed a little.

Baking fish is a relatively straightforward procedure. You can certainly forego the mayonnaise topping and just salt and pepper each fillet. Squeeze a little lemon over and bake at 400 degrees, F, until opaque and just beginning to flake.

Valentine’s Day Dinner For Her Series

Be sure to check out my other blog posts for making your loved one an incredible Valentine’s Day meal plus check out my new Squidoo A Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner

Romantic Cheese Course

Lobster Bisque Recipe

How to Make A Great Salad For Valentine’s Day

Pork Medallions with Apricot Glaze Recipe

Steak with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Fish en Papillote or Fish in Parchment Paper

Chocolate Souffle

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

My Squidoo - A Reluctant Valentine’s Day Dinner