There is a lot to be said for meat or fish that is cooked in a parcel in the oven - and in my kitchen this method of cooking is way underutilised, until just recently.

The first benefit is that whatever you are cooking retains it's moisture in the parcel so you don't run the risk of it drying out. Secondly, it gets to marinade and cook in the other flavours you packaged up with it; the result is a deliciously flavoursome meal. 

I have made this particular recipe 4 times in the last few weeks. This speaks volumes for the simplicity of the recipe AND it's flavour.

I can't actually take any credit for the recipe as it's from the menu of Melbourne food delivery service Tucker Street. Thankfully I was brought up with good manners because a well worded email with a few 'pleases' in capital letters secured the recipe for me to share you with you here.

If there is any fish left over I have it cold through a salad the following day. If there is any uncooked sauce left over (most likely) I pop that in the fridge and use it in a veggie stir fry or with cooked quinoa, even another chicken or fish bake. 

Please make this recipe, I feel absolute faith that you will love it. 

Serves 2

2 x 180g barramundi fillets, skin off
3/4 cup Jasmine rice
1 lime
400ml can organic coconut cream
1 red shallot
1/4 tablespoon chilli flakes
1 large vine ripened tomato
1/4 bunch coriander
2cm piece ginger (20g)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon coconut nectar
2 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts

Peel and finely slice the shallot. Dice the tomato. Reserve the coriander leaves for garnish and finely chop the roots and stems. Peel the ginger with the back of a teaspoon and grate. Zest the lime. Cut two thin, circular slices of lime and the remaining lime into wedges. 

Preheat oven to 180C.

To make the miti sauce, empty the coconut cream into a bowl. Mix well to combine the solid and liquid parts of the coconut cream. Place the coriander roots, ginger, lime zest, tomato, shallot, fish sauce, coconut nectar and chilli flakes in the bowl with the coconut cream. Squeeze in the juice of 2 wedges of lime. Mix well and taste. Season with salt and pepper if required and set aside.

Fill a kettle with 500ml water and bring to the boil. Lay out 2 large pieces of baking paper onto a baking tray. 

Spoon 3 or so heaped tablespoons of miti sauce onto the centre of each piece of baking paper. Place a barramundi fillet on top of the sauce, careful to keep the sauce in the middle of the paper. Season the fillet with salt and pepper, place a slice of lime on top and add a couple of heaped tablespoons of sauce on top of the fillet.

Now to create your parcel. Bring the top and bottom sides of the paper together in the centre above the fillet. Fold down 3-4 times then tuck the opposite left and right edges of paper underneath the fillet.

Place in the oven for 25 minutes. 

Rinse the rice in a fine sieve then transfer into a small pot. Add 1.5 cups (375ml) boiling water and return to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove from heat and leave to stand with the lid on until you have finished cooking the rest of the meal.

At 25 minutes remove the fish from the oven, carefully opening one of the parcels to check if the fish is cooked (use a knife to check if the flesh pulls apart easily). If the flesh doesn't fall apart easily pop back in for a further 5-10 minutes and check again.

Remove parcels from the oven. Transfer them onto serving plates or open parcels on the oven tray and transfer contents onto plates, drizzling the sauce on top. Serve with rice and lime wedges to the side. Garnish with coriander leaves, crushed peanuts and drizzle with extra miti sauce.

A note to those who prefer less grains in their diet. Below I have sauteed bok choy and asparagus in coconut oil for a few minutes and used that as my base instead of rice.

As always, please do share your feedback with me at the foot of this post, I so love hearing from you and it's important I know that you are enjoying my recipes and/or if you've constructive feedback to improve them! You may also like to save it your healthy Pinterest board for a rainy day.