Josceline Dimbleby

Mackerel en Papillote with Tarragon and Caper Sauce

Preparation info

    • Difficulty

      Medium

Appears in

A Taste of Dreams

A Taste of Dreams

By Josceline Dimbleby

Published 1976

  • About

Baking individual fish wrapped in their own little paper parcels keeps in all the flavour and juices and looks exciting. Mackerel has remained comparatively cheap and being an oily fish is very nutritious, moist textured and full of flavour. If you can get fresh tarragon for the sauce it makes a lot of difference but dried will do.

Ingredients

  • 1 fairly small mackerel per person – gutted but with heads left on
  • 1–2 bay leaves per fish
  • butter

Method

Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to wrap each fish up in and butter the paper. Put the bay leaves inside the fish where they have been gutted. Wrap each fish up in paper and twist the ends to seal. Bake on a baking sheet or tray in the centre of the oven at Gas 5 (375°F/190°C) for