Capers are often thought of as a topping for salmon and cream cheese on a bagel, but I appreciate these little brine-packed berries for the saltiness they bring to other mild fish. The berries are from the perennial caper bush and often sun-dried and pickled before the hit store shelves.
I used a few spoonfuls of capers to complete the flavor profile for this Mahi Mahi En Papillote, which requires only five main ingredients – plus olive oil, salt and pepper – and bakes in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3 Mahi Mahi filets (about 4 to 6 ounces each)
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 large garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut three pieces of parchment paper at about 15- by 18-inches each. Fold each in half and cut a large heart shape. Unfold the paper into the heart shapes.
Trim asparagus stems and place 6 to 8 pieces of asparagus flat on one side of each parchment heart. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on each bunch. Place a Mahi Mahi filet on each asparagus pile and drizzle a bit more olive oil on each piece of fish.
Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of capers on each piece of fish. Dice garlic clove and divide evenly among the three servings. Add 2 lemon slices to the top of each, and fold over the other half of the heart to cover the ingredients.
Starting at the top of the heart, carefully roll up the paper and crimp together the edges all the way to the bottom, sealing the ingredients together.
Place seafood and veggie packets on a rimmed baking sheet and place in preheated oven for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully unfold the paper packets, watching out for steam to release.
Serve fish packets with other sides of your choice. Boiled baby potatoes with some garlic butter, salt and pepper is my go-to for this meal. Rice or mashed potatoes would also work well.
