Fish en Papillote is a French cooking technique dating back to the early 20th century. It involves wrapping fish filets in parchment paper along with various herbs, vegetables, and seasonings before baking, creating a flavourful and delicate dish. I love using this technique because it’s perfect for weeknight meals, quick, hand-free and easy to tidy up. This technique also makes perfectly cooked fish by gently steaming it and infusing it with flavour! I’ve used cod in this recipe but feel free to substitute with halibut or salmon.
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Begin by making the salsa verde while the oven is heating. Combine the olives, parsley, lemon zest and juice, 1 tsp chili flakes, oregano, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ cup olive oil and sherry vinegar in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference and set aside to marinate.
2
Fold a 12×16-inch sheet of parchment paper in half, then open it. Add your green beans and layer in the lemon slices, cod pieces, shallots and garlic. Top with the 1 tsp chili flakes, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Pour over your 2 tbsp olive oil and white wine.
3
Fold and seal. Fold the top half of the parchment paper over the bottom half, then tightly roll up the edges around the cod. Place the parchment paper packet on a baking sheet, and bake for 14 to 18 minutes (depending on thickness), or until the cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Serve with the reserved salsa verde on top and alongside grains like rice, couscous, crusty bread or a big crunchy salad.
4
Notes: Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. To make this dish alcohol-free simply substitute the wine with water or vegetable/ chicken stock. You may substitute the green beans with other vegetables but be mindful of cooking time. Thinly sliced zucchini and halved cherry tomatoes would be a great substitute. If you’d like to use another fish like salmon, make sure to adjust the cooking time. Salmon would take more time because of the thickness and density of the fish so aim for about 18 minutes. You can absolutely use frozen cod here to make this dish more economical, just make sure to fully thaw the fish before cooking.
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