Tilapia en Papillote with Citrus Butter

Ingredients for Tilapia:

2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into 6 portions

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup sliced red onion

2 tomatoes, sliced

12 sage leaves

6 sprigs fresh thyme

12 Tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

Ingredients for Citrus Butter:

3 oranges

1 grapefruit

3 lemons

3 limes

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon minced shallots

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled and cubed

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup julienned fresh chives

Directions:

For the tilapia, cut 6 pieces of baking parchment paper large enough to enclose the fillets. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Arrange 1 fillet on half of one piece of the parchment paper. Layer the fillet with onion slices, tomato slices, 2 of the sage leaves, 1 sprig of the thyme and 2 Tablespoons of the rosemary. Fold the parchment paper over the fillet and fold the edges to seal, forming a pouch. Repeat the process with the remaining fillets, remaining onion slices, remaining tomato slices, remaining sage leaves, sprigs of thyme and remaining rosemary. Arrange the pouches on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until the fillets flake easily.

For the butter, grate 1 teaspoon of zest from each of the four citrus fruits. Juice the oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes into a bowl, discarding the seeds. Combine the citrus juice, citrus zest, honey, shallots and garlic in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a simmer; reduce the heat. Add the butter gradually, whisking constantly. Stir in the parsley.

To serve, make a slit in each pouch and drizzle the fillets with some of the butter. Sprinkle with the chives and garnish with citrus wedges. Serve with a fresh green vegetable or mixed green salad and boiled new potatoes.

Note: Pompano from Florida is the fish traditionally used in this dish. However, it can be difficult to obtain. Try using tilapia, a widely available farm-raised fish with a delicate taste and flaking texture.

Serves: 6