Seabass with summer vegetables and vermouth recipe

This seasonal fish dish is fast and easy but looks impressive – and tastes even better

You could be forgiven for wondering what the point of cooking en papillote (meaning food is enclosed in a paper parcel) actually is. It is visually impressive – the paper can end up looking aged, like old parchment, because of the toasting it undergoes – and there’s a bit of theatre as the parcel is opened and a rush of good smells fills the air. But these are superficial advantages. The taste is the thing. What you end up with is a dish much more than the sum of its parts. It’s as if every flavour in the parcel has been captured and intensified.
It seems like a faff when you first do it – cutting the paper to the right size, folding it properly – but it becomes easy with practice. Alternatively, you can use foil or parchment-lined foil if you prefer. Once the package is in the oven the air inside it expands and becomes perfumed with the ingredients that are cooking in the moist heat.
This is a quick one as seabass fillets don’t take very long to cook – indeed, be careful not to overcook them.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
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