About this recipe
Wrapping a fresh snapper fillet in paperbark would probably be one of the easiest recipes of all time. It literally takes minutes to prepare and is really hard to spoil. I’ve taught chefs all over the world from fine dining restaurants in Osaka to Michelin Star chefs in Prague how to cook this and from time to time I see it on their menus!
Paperbark is one of the most versatile natural food wraps available and imparts a delicate smokey flavour to chicken, pork, veal, poultry, kumara, oysters, fish, scallops … the list goes on. Paperbark works best with white meats and starchy vegetables which are slowly cooked in the paperbark so that the smoke created when the natural oils in the bark are combusted and absorbed into the fats in the food. Many chefs use paperbark for its visual appeal and serve it in paperbark on the plate.
I’d suggest serving the Paperbark Smoked Snapper with my Daintree Pineapple Salsa which goes well with the subtle smokey flavours of the snapper.
Ingredients
1×200g (7oz,) snapper fillet
5g (1 teaspoon) wildfire spice
¼ of paperbark roll
pinch salt
macadamia nut oil
Cooking instruction
Ensure that the snapper fillet is free of bones and that the skin has been removed. Season both sides of the snapper with wildfire spice and a pinch of salt. Unroll the paperbark and cut a small amount to wrap the snapper. On occasions, the paperbark is so thik that you can actually separate the paperbark in half.
Using the stringless side of the paperbark, rub just a little macadamia nut oil on the bark, then place the snapper fillet directly onto the paperbark. Then wrap like a present and tie with butchers twine.
Heat your grill or frying pan to high and heat your oven to 180°C. When the pan is hot, sear the paperbark snapper till it begins to smoke. Turn the package over, then again wait till the paperbark is smoking. After both sides are smoking, transfer the paperbark snapper to the oven. The cooking time can vary greatly depending on how think the snapper is. To test if the snapper is cooked use a skewer.
To serve, place the paperbark smoked snapper on the plate, untie the twine and open the paperbark up. You can serve the snapper in the paperbark for visual appeal. Simply garnish with Daintree Pineapple Salsa and sprig of chervil.
