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Ingredients
- 4 skinless firm-fleshed fish fillets, such as bass, halibut, or salmon (each about 1 1/2 inches thick)
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups trimmed spinach leaves (from 1 bunch)
- Caper-lemon butter (pages 166167)
- 2 lemons, one sliced into 1/8-inch rounds, the other cut into wedges
Method
- Prepare parchment packets Heat the oven to 400F.
- Lightly season fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Cut four pieces of parchment paper (each measuring 12 by 17 inches) and lay them on a clean work surface.
- Fold each in half crosswise; then open, and lay flat.
- Divide spinach leaves among parchment, mounding it on one side of the fold.
- Divide the compound butter in half, then divide one of the halves among the four packets, spooning it on top of the spinach; top each with 2 lemon slices.
- Lay a fillet on top of the lemons and spoon remaining compound butter on fish.
- Fold over parchment and then form the half-moon packet: beginning at one of the corners, make small overlapping pleats all the way around to seal the edges completely.
- Steam packets Transfer packets to a rimmed baking sheet, and cook in the oven until parchment puffs up, about 12 minutes (8 minutes per inch of thickness for firm-fleshed fish).
- Serve Immediately place a packet on each of four plates and use kitchen shears to cut open the packets at the table.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
- Firm-fleshed fish varieties with plenty of flavor work best with the caper butter in this recipe; try halibut, salmon, or striped bass.
- Since they can be rinsed, salt-packed capers will actually taste less salty than those packed in brine and have a pure caper taste.
- Use nonpareil capers whenever possible.
