Recipe history & notes
Fish in Papillote is a historical Romanian recipe from 1842, presented with ingredients, preparation, and historical context. This page brings together the available transcription, editorial notes, and the original manuscript image.
Ingredients – Fish in Papillote
- 4 fish (halva)
- salt
- parsley
- onion
- mushrooms
- fish liver
- sardines
- pepper
- bacon
- butter
Original manuscript
Digitised facsimile from the 1842 archive.
Historical narrative
# Halva in Papillote (1842)
## Faithful Translation into Modern English
Take four or five halva (fish) and clean them, and cut them lengthwise in two; salt them and beat them lightly with the back of a knife so that they open slightly; then add green parsley, onion and mushrooms, and the livers of the fish, and a few sardines, pepper, and pound everything together; then take bacon and cut it into thin slices; place the fish on white paper and lay the bacon slices on the paper, spread the stuffing inside, and over the top again bacon, and thus all together, and cut the paper neatly; then place them on a buttered grill and cook gently until done.
Cook’s advice
# Modern Tips (not part of the original text)
- Use baking parchment and bake at 180°C for about 20–25 minutes.
- Substitute sardines with anchovies for a milder flavour.
- Add a splash of white wine to the stuffing for balance.
Additional notes
# Historical and Language Notes
- “Papilote” refers to cooking in paper (en papillote).
- “Halva” here refers to fish, not the dessert.
- The stuffing combines fish liver and sardines for strong flavour.