Walleye in a Bag

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 (6-8ounce) fillets walleye
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 thin lemon slices (less than 3/4 inch thick; from 1 large lemon)
  • 8 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
  • 12 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons drained bottled capers
  • 4 small chunks of butter
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 cup panko bread crumb
  • 3 tablespoons whole butter
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and tarragon

Preparation:

  1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange a piece of foil 12”x16” and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. This can also be cooked on a grill, campfire or in your fireplace right in the coals.
  2. Pat fish dry and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange walleye fillets, skin side down, in center of foil.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, zucchini, roasted corn and a pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are softened, about 1 minute.
  4. Spoon hot tomato mixture over fish, then cover by folding the edges together tightly to seal.
  5. Bake until fish is just cooked through, 12 minutes (depending on thickness of fish); check by inserting instant read thermometer into fish to read 150F.
  6. While Fish is cooking, melt the whole butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the panko and stir well to saturate the bread crumb with the melted butter. Keep over heat until panko has turned a nice dark golden tan. Add fresh chopped herbs to panko and cool.
  7. Transfer fillets with lemon slices to plates using a spatula (be careful not to tear foil underneath) and spoon tomatoes and juices over and top with the herb crumb. Serve immediately, discarding thyme before eating.