Thursday, June 2, 2011

Foil-Baked Fish with Black Beans and Corn


When I was growing up, my mom used to make what she called "hobo packets."  Essentially, it was chicken on top of a bed of peppers, onions, and whatever veggies she had to use up.  It was wrapped in foil and baked, and to serve, you just opened the packet and dug in. 

This is basically a glorified version of the hobo packets that I grew up eating.  Any white fish will do, though I used halibut since I got some for a good price. Otherwise, I would probably go for a less-expensive fish, such as cod or tilapia.  The fish is coated in a compound butter made with chipotles, garlic, and orange zest, then cooked atop a bed of black beans and corn. 

The butter melts into the fish, leaving it super flavorful, and then all the juices fun down into the veggies underneath.  This is a super-simple dinner that was ready in no time flat, and since it contains some of our favorite ingredients, it was enjoyed by the whole family.


Foil-Baked Fish with Black Beans and Corn
  • 4 skinless white fish fillets (6 to 8 oz each), 1-inch thick
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 1 tsp grated orange zest
  • 2 Tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (16-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups corn kernels
  • 1/2 red onion, minced
  • 2 scallions, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat to 450 degrees.

Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Using a fork, mix together the butter, 1 teaspoon chipotle, orange zest, half the garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a medium bowl until well-combined.  Spread butter mixture over the fish.

Combine the beans, corn, onion, scallions, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, orange juice, remaining chipotle, remaining garlic, scallions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.

Lay four 14-inch lengths of foil on the counter and divide the bean mixture evenly over the lower half of each piece of foil.  Top with fish, and fold the foil over the fish, folding the edges to seal.

Arrange the packets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.  Carefully open the packets and sprinkle with remaining cilantro.  Serve.

Source:  America's Test Kitchen, The Best Simple Recipes


44 comments:

branny said...

Yum. This looks great. I bet it would work well on the grill, too.

Jen said...

I love cooking in foil packets. So easy and no mess to clean up!

Jill said...

My husband loves corn and black beans, we are going to have to try this one this weekend!

Unknown said...

I love fish and unfortunately my parents do not so I don't get to enjoy it as much as I would like. I am definitely going to try this recipe out when I get back to school in the fall!!

ErinsFoodFiles said...

This looks seriously delicious! I almost always just broil fish (we eat it at least 1x a week), so I am excited to try this next time!

Heather West said...

This looks so delicious! I can't wait to make this!

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Love this :)

Tricia said...

I've made this an loved it! Great recipe!

Trish said...

I really enjoy your blog Josie and have been reading for about a year now. I just wanted to say that as far as fish choices try to stay away from cod. If I'm not mistaken the cod population is in a pretty precarious state right now from overfishing. So if you could, encourage everyone to go for the tilapia. or catfish would be great too. especially cause you can usually find US raised catfish

Unknown said...

Yum! I can remember making these too! I had forgotten all about them but what a great way to prepare any type of fish!

Josie said...

Hi Trish,
I too make a point to choose sustainable fish for cooking, and from what I understand, the sustainability of cod depends on the area from which it is caught. Pacific cod is a good choice, and some Atlantic cod, but you are right. Some of it is very precarious and should be avoided. Thanks for reading, and I'm glad you enjoy my blog!

Mary (Mary, Quite Culinary) said...

This looks fantastic! I'm adding it to my list to make...

Anonymous said...

Made this last night for dinner.
First bite was spicy, but after that it was just plain ol' YUM!!!
Great recipe!!!

test it comm said...

That looks like a tasty and healthy meal!

Jun said...

It sounds quite simple but flavorful. I'm going to make this for dinner!

Christine @ Christine's Kitchen Chronicles said...

Just made this. Fantastic! Thank you! Since there were only 2 of us I made the whole recipe but froze the other 2 packets. Only time will tell whether those taste as delicious :).

Sunshine and Spices said...

Hi there! I made this recipe and posted it on my blog. Thanks for the inspiration! http://sunshineandspices.blogspot.com/2011/07/fish-with-black-beans-and-corn-in-foil.html

Vanessa said...

I made this last night, and the flavor is AMAZING! Thanks so much, definitely one of the tastiest things that has ever come out of my oven :)

Debbie said...

I made this last week. This was the first time I've ever cooked fish because my husband has an extreme aversion to it. However, while I enjoyed it, my husband actually ate it (which is a huge compliment because, like I said, he HATES fish).

Christine @ Christine's Kitchen Chronicles said...

Reporting back again. I used my frozen packets today straight from the freezer (increasing baking time) and they were still just as fabulous as when I made them fresh! Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know the nutrition info on this recipe?

Josie said...

I do not know the nutrition info, but you could calculate it using an online calculator. Hope that helps!

Josie said...

Christine, good to know that they are just as great from the freezer - thanks for letting me know!

Anonymous said...

This recipe is delicious! I surprised my husband with it and he was really excited to have a leftover foil packet to take to work for his lunch the next day! We LOVED it! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and made it tonight. It was sooo incredibly delicious!! Thanks for sharing!

Mom Foodie said...

Great Healthy dish

hvpia239 said...

I made this a couple of weeks ago and am making it for dinner again tonight. My husband and I loved it. I also made some brown rice to go with it. Thanks for sharing! :)

Anonymous said...

I made this with my friend on friday, and it was so yummy I made it again the next day... I'll be adding this to one of my favorite dishes list... Thanks Josie :)

Anonymous said...

Trying this but with Tuna. My husband is allergic to most fish except tuna and salmon.

Anonymous said...

Made this tonight. Very good. Too spicy for my daughter, but we loved it. We had to cook it a little longer than it said and could have probably used 6 filets and froze half. We'll likely do that next time. Yum!

Anonymous said...

I cooked this in a baking dish, lined and covered with foil, rather than the packets. Very good. I'll definitely make this again.

Kathy said...

Any suggestions on making this on the grill? I've already made this in the oven and it was delicious!

Unknown said...

This looked so yummy so I gave it a try and it was super yummy! Thanks for posting such a great recipe. I blogged about it at http://www.thegrubery.blogspot.com/2012/04/foil-wrapped-black-bean-and-corn.html if you want to check it out :)

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious and i love everything in it except cilantro...do you think it would be good without it?

Josie said...

Anonymous, sure. I'd just use some parsley instead.

Jenn said...

I made this tonight and it was amazing!!!

marny said...

I've made this at least 3 times now, and it's one of my favorite easy recipes. So much flavor and feels light even though there's a good amount of food. Made it with tilapia since it's really affordable. So glad you posted it!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely no offense intended to the creator of this meal but this is the worst fish dish I have ever made. I followed the recipe to a science and used fresh mild fish and my husband and I cannot eat it. The flavors are just wrong.

Medfield Mama said...

Hmmm... Not sure what happened with "Anonymous", because this was one of the best fish recipes I've ever made, and I'm a very experienced home cook. The only thing I can think is that she and her husband don't like the taste of cilantro? Because that will throw you off. But the flavors together are perfection, and my entire family (including 3 & 6 y.o.) gobbled it up! I just cut the chipotle by half and cooked it the whole 20 min. Adding this to my monthly menu!

Anonymous said...

I know this if off topic but I'm looking into starting my own weblog and was wondering what all is required to get setup? I'm assuming having
a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I'm not very web savvy so I'm not 100% positive.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Feel free to visit my blog; seo training course

Anonymous said...

It's very simple to find out any matter on web as compared to textbooks, as I found this piece of writing at this web page.

Also visit my web-site: http://www.firstusacarpetcleaning.com/ - -

Anonymous said...

I wonder when they have been bull skull tattoos somewhere on the body.
Here some of these membership-based or absolutely free tattoo design websites we took a glance at:
. The two parts complete the standard five elements from
the Universe-water, fire, earth, metal and wood therefore brings forth
the harmony in contrasting beings. By combining the above-mentioned design, there is absolutely no denying that
the tattoo gets to be more elaborate and awesome. Indeed,
different symbols take part in the role to reflect
one's attitude and culture.

Here is my website - best tattoo ideas - tattoogall.com

Anonymous said...

Wonderful site. Plenty of useful info here. I'm sending it to some buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you to your effort!

my homepage; Http://www.campuppet.com/Node/39677

Ruth said...

I Loved this! Didn't have the chilis in adobo but used green chilis & chipotle & I added yellow squash slices then I put the packets on the grill. Mmmm!

Post a Comment

 
BLOG DESIGN BY: SHERBET BLOSSOM DESIGNS