fish {in cartoccio}

A lot of people avoid cooking fish at home because they claim not to know how. My friend Melissa recently showed how easy – and impressive – it is to bake a whole fish in the oven for a dinner party. And she’s right it is easy. But getting a fish big enough to feed a crowd can not only involve planning ahead (something I’m never very good at ) but can also cost a lot (fish is expensive!)

Which is why I often take a lazier/easier/cheaper route. One small fish for everyone. While there are single portion sustainably farmed fish like bream and sea bass around, they don’t really taste that great. Which is why I was so happy to see that a new fish monger has joined the ranks of my weekly farmer’s market. He is bringing his catch every weekend to the Circo Massimo market and last week he had a big crate full of freshly caught mackerel.

I’ve written about mackerel in the past. Not only are mackerel in no danger of dying out, they are full of good omega 3’s. But rather than cook them in a tomato sauce, I decided to cook them ‘in cartoccio.’

In cartoccio means ‘in paper.’ and refers to the cooking method where each portion of fish is sealed up tightly in paper with seasonings and baked, so that it basically steams in it’s own juices. While baking paper would certainly have looked prettier, I find aluminum foil is much more manageable.

The ‘recipe’ couldn’t be easier. You just lay your cleaned fish atop anything you want. I used some thinly sliced leaks and lemon slices. That’s it. Salt, pepper, olive oil and a splash of wine and twenty minutes later dinner was done.

It’s a great way to prepare fish for a dinner party, especially a fishy one which you may be having Christmas Eve.  First of all, if you use a fish like mackerel, you can keep the price within reason. Secondly, you can prepare the packets ahead of time, and just slip them into the oven as your eating your first course. And finally? Since the fishy packets are so tightly sealed, your house doesn’t end up smelling overly aquatic.

Go ahead and play around with the seasonings. Tomatoes and mushrooms are great, and provide a nice sauce. I forgot the herbs this time around, but usually uses thyme, parsley or even rosemary. A few olives or capers work too. Basically, once you’ve got your fish, you’re halfway there.

See? Wasn’t that easy?

mackerel in cartoccio
serves four

4 small mackerel, each big enough for one person, cleaned
2 leeks, cleaned of grit and thinly sliced
1 untreated lemon, thinly sliced
salt, pepper, olive oil
4 tablespoons of white wine

Preheat oven to 400F/200C

Cut four pieces of aluminum foil, bit enough to wrap each fish in.

Brush the center of each sheet with a bit of olive oil.

Lay one quarter of the leeks on top of the center of the foil. Place two slices of lemon on top of leeks.

Lay the fish on top, and season with salt and pepper. Pour white wine on top, and drizzle with more oil.

Pull the top and bottom edges up and over the fish. Fold several times to form a tight seal. Fold the ends over several times to seal.

Place packets on an oven tray and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.

To serve, place one packet on each plate. Guests can open their own packets, although you should warn them about the steam escaping. Alternatively you can do the plating in the kitchen, placing one fish on each plate and then pouring the juices and leeks on top.

Have a central plate in the middle for bones and heads. And if your guests are squeamish, just tell them to get over it.