Asian Fish Parcels

Fish… hmm.. now fish isn’t one of my go to proteins. I don’t eat sea food. Umm.. I guess it’s time to say that I DIDN’T eat sea food. (I just heard-my mum in law yelp!) I’m not sure if I can say that I eat fist yet. Hmm…Let me see..

-I had sushi when I was out at a Japanese restaurant (Remember Harima?)

– I had the fish that my mum in law made when she was over… ( I have to admit I really liked it)

– I sort of considered ordering a fish dish the other day…

– I bought a packet of fish fillet because it is packed with proteins. (I get into counting my nutrient intake now and then)

 .. I guess I eat fish now.

 With that self discovery, I set out to make my first fish dish.. ever! I needed to start with something simple, so that I don’t mess it up. So, one Sunday, after a lot of research and gathering all the arsenal, I was ready. Asian Fish Parcels with Noodles… that was what I was out to make. I had already warned the husband that if it doesn’t turn out well, we’d be having plain noodles for dinner. This dish can be made with fried rice or salad on the side. Since I’m the chef and the chef LOVES noodles, noodles were the sides we had.

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Briefly…

..Ease: Extremely Easy!  
..Taste: Really really tasty. The one that I made had a very subtle taste, but you can jazz it up as you like it
...Appearance: So exotic! Don’t you think??
..Pros: The fish is really easy to make.
..Cons: Since the fish is wrapped, it is difficult to know when it’s ready. You have to keep going and checking it.
..Would I make it again: Yup! Especially when I call people over. It is such a deceptive dish. Looks so fancy, but ridiculously easy to make.

What you need…

For the fish parcels

– Fish fillet.. I used Basa. It does not smell (which is super important to me) and it was available as frozen fillets. I’m not ready to buy a fish and fillet it yet. Baby steps you know.
– Carrots.. cut in strips
– Peppers.. red and yellow cut in strips. It makes the dish look extra pretty.
– Beans.. Cut in long pieces
– Onions..
– Garlic… Chopped finely
– Salt, Soya Sauce, Chili Vinegar to taste

For the Noodles

– Egg Noodles.. 1pkt
– Onions, Carrots, Beans, Mushrooms .. all cut in long strips.
– Soya, vinegar, chili sauce, to taste

How to Make It..

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 The Fish Parcels

1. Preheat the oven at 180 deg C.
2. Season the fillet with salt, pepper and garlic on the side.
3. Take a sheet of aluminum foil. Place a little bit of all the vegetables on it as the base. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the fillet on the vegetable base. Drizzle some soya sauce, and chilli vinegar on it.
5. Wrap the parcels tightly and place in the oven to cook for about 20 mins.

The Noodles

1. In a wok, cook all the vegetables together. Add salt according to taste.
2. While the vegetables cook, boil the egg noodles in a pan. Ensure that the noodles are al dante and not too soft.
3. When the noodles are done, which should not take more than 5-7 minutes, drain all the water. Add some oil on the noodles so that the noodles doesn’t get sticky.
4. Once the veggies are cooked, add the noodles to the wok.
5. Add salt, soya, vinegar, and other seasoning as required.

Adapted from Baked Fish Parcels at Food.com

Finally…

Once the noodles and fish are done, serve nice and hot! The fun of the dish is unwrapping the parcel and being greeted with burst of Asian smell and the colour of the vegetables. I really enjoyed having this dish. The nuances of the dish is open to interpretation. Perhaps I’ll try making it slightly different next time. The one thing I’m sure about though is that this dish is so simple to make while making you feel like a top chef!

Have you made something similar? Let me know.. I’d love to hear all about it!