Sea bass cooked with vegetables in parchment

Ingredients

• 4 sea bass fillets (about 1 kg)
• 1 bunch spring onions (white parts finely chopped)
• 0.5 bunch flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
• 2 small green bell pepper strips
• 2 large tomatoes (deveined, seeded, sliced)
• 1 tbsp fresh dill (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp fresh mint (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1 tsp Turkish paprika powder (or hot rose paprika)
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• 4 fresh bay leaves (or dried)
• 4 tbsp Lemon juice
• 4 thin lemon slices
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp raki (Turkish anise liqueur or ouzo)
• Salt
• ground pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut parchment paper or aluminum foil into four rectangles large enough to wrap the fillets. In a bowl mix the finely chopped white parts of spring onions, parsley, dill, mint, paprika powder, salt and pepper. Brush the parchment rectangles with heated clarified butter and place one sea bass fillet in the center.

2. 2.

   Place a bay leaf on each fillet and spread the onion-herb mixture over the four fish fillets. Decorate with tomato and bell pepper strips and lemon slices, then whisk together 4 tbsp lemon juice, 4 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp raki and 4 tbsp water to drizzle over the fillets. Season with pepper and salt. Fold the top and bottom edges of the parchment paper together and roll until the fillet is tightly wrapped.

3. 3.

   Tuck the sides together as if wrapping a candy, then press the packet under it. Keep moistening the top with water until the paper seals firmly and bake on a baking tray for about 25 minutes. After baking, half-open the parchment carefully to avoid hot steam and serve on a plate.