Food for Friday: Cod en Papillote

Time for some yummy food, people! I cooked this dish on Christmas eve, and since it was quite easy to make and delivered a gorgeous result, I just couldn't keep all of that to myself. In case you have a special occasion coming up, or if you just feel like treating yourself: here is my recipe for cod en papillote.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• cod fillet
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• thyme
• lemon juice
• shallots
• parsnip
• carrots
• cherry tomatoes
• kohlrabi
• leak 
• parchment paper (bakpapier) on a roll, NOT cut into separate pieces because you need a big chunk to properly package your papillote (yeay alliteration) 

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Preparation is everything! Start by chopping your vegetables as finely as possible. Your cherry tomatoes can obviously stay in one piece, but especially the carrot and parsnip should be diced in small bits, or else it won't cook as fast as the fish. Set up your chopped veggies in small bowls because your papillote will be easy to assemble this way, and because it looks adorbs.

Next, cut a big heart out of your parchment paper. This will be easiest if you fold over your parchment paper and just cut out half a heart, with the fold running down the middle of your heart. Hope that makes sense! If it doesn't, you obviously weren't the star of your kindergarten class.

The heart should be quite big, as you can see.

Now, place your cod on one side of the heart. The other side will be folded over the fish, so keep that in mind. Next, sprinkle bits of all of your vegetables over the fish. Finish off by seasoning with salt (don't be stingy with this one), pepper, lemon juice, thyme and some extra virgin olive oil.

Last step before putting your papillote in the oven: fold the other half of your parchment paper heart over your pile of fish and veggies, and start tucking in the paper. Really not as hard as it looks, just start in one corner (I began at the top of the heart) and keep folding until you reach the other side, and tuck that part in.

This is what you'll end up with. Place your papillotes on a baking tray in an oven preheated at about 200°C, and set your cooking alarm to 20 minutes. Your papillote is done when the steam trapped inside the paper starts puffing up the package, but don't leave your fish in the oven longer than 25-30 minutes.

Aaaaand voila! The scent coming from your opened papillote will be DIVINE I tell ya. Your cod en papillote will go great with gratin dauphinois or even tagliatelli. Bon appetit!