Fish en papillote with Provence flavours

These are so worth the effort. All the flavour is locked in the bag and it feels like opening a gift.

Serves 4 • Ready in 1 hr 15 mins

16 prawns, peeled and deveined (heads and shells reserved)

100g butter, at room temperature 800g fish fillet, in 4 portions, skin on if small fish

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (or use leek)

2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced 12 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped 4 bay leaves

4 small sprigs of thyme

1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

4 pared strips of orange zest

50g marsh samphire or spinach leaves (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

You will need:

A lidded BBQ; a skillet 1 Put the prawn heads and shells in a skillet, add to the grill, close the lid and roast for 20 mins until crisp and aromatic. 2 Add the butter and stir, cook for 1 min and remove from the grill to infuse in a warm place for 30 mins; strain the butter into a bowl, discarding the shells. Place 4 large sheets of foil or baking parchment (A3 size) lengthways on the work surface and place a fish portion in each.

3 Divide the fennel, garlic, tomatoes, bay, thyme, chilli and orange zest between the parcels, add 4 prawns to each, sprinkle over the samphire or spinach, if using, and spoon over the infused butter. Add salt and pepper to taste, fold the foil over double and fold all sides inwards twice, to create an airtight package.

4 Place the packages on the grill (your BBQ should be between 120-140C), close the lid and cook for 12-15 mins; the packages will have puffed up.

5 Place the packages straight onto individual plates to cut open at the table, taking care of the steam and juices. Serve with toasted baguette or boiled potatoes. ✢ Extracted from Cooking on the Big Green Egg by James Whetlor (£25, Quadrille). Photos: Sam Folan