n cartoccio actually. In Cartoccio (or papillote as those beret-fanatics like to say) is nothing more than cooking some tasty ish in a makeshift bag. It sounds easy, but requires a delicate hand and a watchful eye as the ingredients can easily overcook and turn to bland mush.
Fish and vegetables work best thanks to their short cooking time, but I bet fruit with a dash of sugar and glug of rum would be phenom too. Maybe some mint…Mojitos in Cartoccio?
Today’s recipe is just on variation on the veggie-fish cartoccio, only rule is to use what’s fresh and in season. Pack it up, pack it in:
Trota in Cartoccio
2 10″x10″ pieces of Parchment Paper
2 Trout Filets
1 Zuchinni (sliced thin)
1 Small Heirloom Tomato (sliced thin)
1 Lemon (sliced thin)
1 Green or Red Chili (sliced thin)
2 Green Onions (sliced thin on a bias)
4 Garlic Cloves
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Chili Flakes, Oregano
First things first: cut your veggies wafer thin. They should all be roughly the same, about 1/8″ thick like those professionally executed slices right n’ya.
Rinse your Trout Filets and pat dry. Time to assemble:
Fold each of your parchment squares in half and reopen. Near the crease first lay your zuchinni slices. Salt lightly and add your trout filet. Salt lightly, crack a little black pepper over the filet and top with the sliced tomato. Top the tomato with the sliced lemon, then the sliced chili, and then the green onion remembering to salt each layer lightly so all veggies are well seasoned.
Finally top the whole ensemble with a drizzle of olive oil, chili flakes, a couple garlic cloves, and some fresh oregano leaves. To close the cartoccio simply crimp the edges, folding tightly as you move along the edge to make a air-tight seam. Pretend it’s a piece of dough.
Preheat your grill or oven to 400 and add the cartoccio (Note: If you’re using a grill make sure to use a Piastra or pizza stone so the parchment doesn’t burn). Depending on the thickness of your fish and the amount of veggies you use the whole thing should take no more than 10-12 minutes. The parchment will inflate and turn lightly golden on the outside. After 10 minutes remove, bring to the table, cut the top open and dive in!
Everything melds together in steamy goodness, fusing the flavors and creating an outrageously succulent filet of fish. A little Vesta on top goes a long way, adding a crunchy, spicy bite to the mix. Make sure you have a few slices of crusty bread to sop up all the love at the bottom of the plate – a brodetto of fish and veggie juices.
Summer’s in full swing so veggies like zuch, chilis, and tomatoes make sense but this can also be made in fall with thinly sliced squash, mushrooms, swiss chard, etc…
Paulie’s Spark Notes: 1. Make a Bag, 2. Put Stuff in Bag, 3. Cook Bag