Coconut lime fish parcels with Thai basil
White fish gently oven-steamed in baking-paper parcels with coconut milk, ginger and fish sauce, then finished with fresh lime and Thai basil. Serve with jasmine rice to soak up the light, fragrant broth; thicker fillets may need extra baking time.
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Servings
Originally developed for 2 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- 12:00
Heat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan, with a shelf in the middle. Cut two 40 cm squares of oven-safe baking paper. Rinse the 130 g rice, drain well and put in a small saucepan with 200 ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce to the lowest heat. Simmer for 12 minutes, until the water is absorbed, then take off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Prepare the parcels while the rice cooks and rests. If the rice is still firm and dry before resting, add 15–30 ml boiling water and cook, covered, for another 2–3 minutes.
- No timer needed
While the rice simmers, cut the ginger into very fine matchsticks, wash and dry the basil, and thinly slice the optional chilli. Juice the limes, measuring 20 ml juice. Mix the 120 ml coconut milk, 10 ml fish sauce, 3 g sugar and 5 ml lime juice until the sugar dissolves. Reserve the remaining 15 ml lime juice and 5 g basil separately, away from raw-fish utensils, for finishing.
- No timer needed
Pat the fish dry and check for pin bones. Lay the paper squares on the tray and place one fillet in the centre of each. Divide the ginger, 5 g basil and optional chilli between them. Draw up the paper edges to form shallow cradles, then pour half the coconut mixture around each fillet. Bring two opposite edges together above the fish and fold them down together three times, leaving room for steam. Fold the open ends upwards several times and tuck securely underneath without spilling the liquid. Keep the parcels separated and seam-side up. Pause to take the rice off the heat when its simmering time is up. Wash your hands and clean raw-fish utensils and surfaces before handling the finishing ingredients.
- 15:00
Once the oven is at temperature, bake the parcels for 15–20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes. Carefully open each parcel away from your face: the fish should be opaque through its thickest part and separate easily into moist flakes, with no translucent centre. If needed, refold and bake for another 2–3 minutes before checking again; thicker pieces may take longer than 20 minutes. Remove each parcel when its fish is ready. Do not wait for the broth to thicken or reduce. Leave the rested rice covered until serving.
- No timer needed
Transfer the parcels to shallow heatproof bowls and open carefully to release the steam. Divide the reserved 15 ml lime juice between them and scatter over the remaining 5 g Thai basil. Fluff the rested rice and serve immediately alongside the fish and its broth.
Chef tips
- Fillet thickness matters more than weight. Choose matching pieces and check each parcel; remove a thinner fillet as soon as it is ready.
- The schedule reaches serving after the first fish check. Additional baking and checks extend the finish time; do not serve fish with a translucent centre to keep to the schedule.
- If a parcel leaks before baking, wrap it in a second sheet of oven-safe baking paper and keep its seams uppermost. Make firm folds to trap steam.
- The broth should be light and spoonable. Pat the fish dry and use full-fat coconut milk; do not add water or stock to the parcels.
- If the cooked broth tastes too sharp or salty, spoon a little less over the rice rather than adding more seasoning. Measure the lime and fish sauce carefully.
- If the oven has not reached temperature when the parcels are ready, wait until it has before baking.
Equipment check
- Oven
- Approximately 35 × 25 cm rimmed baking tray
- Two 40 cm squares of baking paper rated for 200°C
- 1–1.5 litre saucepan with a tight-fitting lid
- Fine sieve
- Scales and measuring jug
- Small mixing bowl
- Knife and chopping board
- Two shallow heatproof serving bowls
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Behind the dish.
Overview
Sealed paper parcels trap steam, keeping the fish moist and producing a light coconut broth rather than a thick curry sauce. Fine ginger matchsticks soften during cooking; most of the lime and half the Thai basil are added afterwards for a fresh finish. Check each fillet rather than relying on the baking time alone.
Ingredient notes
Choose two similarly thick cod, haddock or hake fillets, ideally 2–3 cm thick. Start with chilled fish; frozen fish must be fully thawed in the fridge beforehand, then drained well. Thawing is advance preparation and is not included in the schedule. Use unsweetened tinned coconut milk, stirred smooth before measuring, rather than coconut drink or sweetened cream of coconut. Thai basil supplies an aniseed fragrance; ordinary fresh basil is a workable substitute, although the flavour changes.
Fish sauce varies in saltiness, so measure it and omit extra salt. Both the fillets and fish sauce contain fish; check the sauce label for additional allergens, including wheat in some brands. Follow the jasmine rice packet's absorption ratio and timing if these differ from the method.
Serving & storage
Serve in shallow bowls with the broth and jasmine rice alongside. Cool leftover fish and broth promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or colder; use within 48 hours or freeze sooner. Cool rice as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour, refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Apply the shorter rice limit to leftovers stored together. Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout; reheated fish will be firmer.
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