Cod in Papillote

Cooking in parchment paper, en papillote in French or al Cartoccio in Italian is a method in which you seal the food in a pouch and bake. The food essentially steams in the oven in its own juices.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

6, 4 ounce (115 grams) pieces of Cod (De-Boned and skinned)

4 Carrots

2 Onions

6 Cloves Garlic

1 Leek

1 Fennel Bulb

4 Branches of Celery

1 bunch each Thyme, Dill, Bay leaf, Tarragon

2 lemons

1.5 sticks butter

Salt / Pepper

8 sheets baking parchment paper 9” by 14” 

Procedure:

-   Peel carrots and slice thin into circles. Peel onions and slice thin. Peel Garlic and slice thin.

-   Cut bottom and top off leek. Slice thin and wash well. Cut bottom and top off the Fennel bulb. Slice thin. Slice Lemons into thin circles, keeping intact.

-   Cook all the Vegetables in a large, covered pot with the butter salt and pepper until tender (15 mins) then refrigerate.

-   Keeping the lemons for later. Place the filets in the center of their parchment paper. Season with the salt and pepper. Place a bit of each herb on each filet to taste.

-   Place 2 slices of lemon on each filet and cover the rest with 1/6th of the (cooled down) cooked vegetables.

-   Repeat until all Filets are covered. Fold the paper in half leaving the fish at the crease and the extra facing you.

-   Fold and roll the paper from left to right until the paper is closed and tight.

-   Should look like a half moon. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 mins or until just cooked (when the flesh flakes and is soft.) 

Serve immediately and open paper in front of guest to perfume the table.