Name: Foil baked fish with vegetables
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients: 300 g fish; 1/4 cup pepper mix*; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic ((crushed)); 1/2 teaspoon thyme; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon dry chilli pepper; 1 seasoning cube; 1/2 teaspoon fish seasoning ((optional)); 1/2 small onions; 2 large potatoes; 2 large carrots; 1 small green ((red and yellow bell peppers)); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

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Foil-baked fish with vegetables is a pretty, healthy, flavourful and easy dish to prepare. It conserves the nutrients in the fish and vegetables, nothing leaches out, and everything is intact in that parcel. Since the fish and vegetables are cooked together, they stew in a mix of their seasoned juices, so you have the fish stock, vegetable stock, herbs and spices. The aroma that hits you when you eventually unwrap your parcel is awesome. The fish remains moist and the vegetables are perfectly cooked, soft and firm not mushy.

Although it looks very fancy, it is a simple, minimalistic and foolproof dish for which you don’t need too many ingredients or expertise to prepare. In fact, with just pepper, salt and a little drizzle of oil, your foil-baked fish with vegetables will taste good. It doesn’t need attention once it goes into the oven or on the grill, no flipping or stirring, just throw it together, pop it in the oven or on the grill and with good timing, it will be splendid.

Easy, moist, healthy and flavourful Foil baked fish with vegetables — Foil baked fish with vegetables served on a plate

You can eat your fish and vegetables right out of the foil and discard the ‘plate’ afterwards, with no washing up. During barbecue season, this dish will impress your family and friends. Foil-baked fish with vegetables can be made in family size or single-serve. For the single-serve, each family member or friend can make up their own combination of ingredients, just like a bespoke dinner, won’t that be exciting? If you are having guests over, prepare the parcels ahead of time, put them in the refrigerator and bake or grill when needed.

Suggested Ingredients

Different types of fish can be used for this, salmon, mackerel, tilapia, croaker, red snapper etc, you can even use chicken or shrimps. The vegetables here are just a suggestion, use any vegetables that are in season eg., sweet potato, yam, zucchini, cauliflower, mushroom, leek, tomato, eggplant, under-ripe plantain, onions, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin, green beans etc. Seasoning can include curry powder, thyme, basil, parsley, oregano etc.

To prepare Foil baked fish with vegetables

300g fish
1/4 cup pepper mix*
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry chili pepper
1 seasoning cube 
1/2 teaspoon fish seasoning (optional)
1/2 small onions
2 large potatoes
2 large carrots
1 small green, red and yellow bell peppers
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

*I normally use my pepper sauce mix used in Catfish baked in pepper sauce (Point and kill), but you can use any pepper sauce you already enjoy, tabasco, sriracha or a sprinkling of dry chilli pepper, the quantity will, of course, be smaller. You can also use pesto.

Preheat oven to 200 deg C.

Wash and cut fish if not using whole.

Using a sharp knife score the fish by making slits about 1 inch apart across the body of the fish. The Cut should be deep about halfway between the skin and the bone.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together pepper mix, garlic, thyme, salt, dry chilli, seasoning cube and fish seasoning. Sprinkle a little salt all over the fish, making sure to get into the slits and gut opening.

Do the same with 1 tablespoon of the seasoned pepper mix. Set aside.

Cut onions, potatoes and carrots into 1-inch chunks.

Cut bell peppers into long thin strips, julienned.

Put in the bowl of pepper mix and toss around to coat.

Cut out a piece of aluminium foil large enough to completely enclose the fish and vegetables.

Place fish in the middle of the foil, place vegetables around and on top of it.

Drizzle with vegetable oil.

Wrap the fish and vegetables as tightly as possible so there is no leakage of both juices and steam.

Place the parcel in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes. The fish flakes easily and the vegetables are soft enough.

To check

Open the foil a little from the seam and using a fork check if the fish flakes easily, if it does, then it is ready. Check the vegetables especially the potato to be sure it is cooked through.

Take out of the oven and leave to cool down a bit before opening.

To serve on a plate, gently slide the contents of the parcel onto the plate.

Note

There are some people who don’t like heating food in aluminium foil. If you are that way, line your aluminium foil with parchment before putting your fish in.
Wrap as tightly as possible so there is no leakage of both juices and steam. The juices keep the food moist and the steam ensures even and thorough cooking without burning and drying out.

You will also enjoy my Catfish baked in pepper sauce (Point and kill), Mackerel in tomato sauce, Nigerian crispy fried whitebait (yor yor) in herb butter sauce and mackerel in tomato sauce.