What to serve with sea bass baked in paper?

The best sides are young potatoes with herbs, steamed vegetables, or rice. The French way: roasted cherry tomatoes and a baguette to soak up the juices from the bottom of the packet.

How to store and reheat leftover sea bass baked in parchment?

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 160 °C (320 °F) for 8–10 minutes — the microwave will dry it out. Best eaten right after cooking.

Can I make sea bass baked in paper without white wine?

Yes, substitute with fish stock or a mix of lemon juice and water (1:1). The alcohol evaporates during baking anyway, and stock provides a similar depth of flavor.

Why does fish turn out dry when baking in parchment — what mistakes should I avoid?

The main mistake is a loosely sealed packet: steam escapes and the fish dries out. Also avoid overbaking — sea bass needs only 18–22 minutes at 200 °C (390 °F); just 5 extra minutes makes it tough.

France · Fish and Seafood Dishes · Keto

Sea Bass Baked in Paper

Name: Sea Bass Baked in Paper
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 sea bass, whole; 4 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 4 tbsp olive oil; 4 tomatoes; 1 cup dry white wine; 100 g black olives; 50 g fresh or marinated capers; 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 sheets baking paper; 1 lemon; to taste parsley, ground black pepper, salt

Paper-baked sea bass is a gourmet dish. Fresh sea bass is wrapped in parchment paper along with aromatic herbs, lemon and olive oil.

40 min 275 kcal 4 serves Medium🥑Keto🇫🇷France Jump to recipe★★★★☆4.4· 5 reviews

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Ingredients

ServingsMetric

2 sea bass, whole
4 clovesgarlic
2 tbsplemon juice
4 tbspolive oil
4 tomatoes
1 cupdry white wine
100 gblack olives
50 gfresh or marinated capers
1 tspdried oregano
2 sheetsbaking paper
1 lemon
to tasteparsley, ground black pepper, salt

1 cup = 240 ml

Note from Sergei

Sergei Martynov

“Baking fish en papillote — in a sealed parchment paper packet — is one of the most elegant and foolproof cooking techniques I know. The steam trapped inside gently cooks the sea bass while infusing it with whatever aromatics you've tucked in: lemon slices, fresh herbs, garlic, a splash of white wine. When you bring it to the table and cut open the packet, that burst of fragrant steam is pure theater. The fish comes out perfectly moist every time because it essentially poaches in its own juices. It's the kind of technique that impresses guests while actually being less work than pan-frying.”

Fold the parchment into a tight half-moon and crimp the edges overlapping each other like a rope — this creates an airtight seal that traps all the steam. If the packet puffs up in the oven, you've done it right.

Method

Clean the sea bass, gut it and remove the gills without cutting off the head. Rinse well and rub with salt inside and out.
Chop parsley and garlic finely. Mix with lemon juice, oregano and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lightly salt. Coat the fish well inside and outside with the mixture.
Pour the wine into a deep baking dish. Grease the baking paper with olive oil. Slice the tomatoes and lemon. Place the tomatoes, fish, olives, capers and lemon on the paper, wrap the paper and place in the baking dish.
Bake the fish for 20-30 minutes in the oven at 180°C. A few minutes before the fish is ready, unwrap the paper to brown the fish.
Serve directly in the paper, decorated with parsley or other fresh herbs.

FAQ

Sea bass can be replaced with sea bream, tilapia, trout, or cod fillet — choose a firm, lean fish. Whole branzino or snapper work equally well in the paper packet.

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Comments (1)

Sergei Martynov✍ Author
185d ago
Fresh seafood should smell like the ocean, not like fish. If your sea bass smells strongly when you buy it for sea bass baked in paper, it's past its prime. Your nose is the most reliable freshness test.