There is no easier way to prepare fish at home than with parchment paper in the oven. You can prep the packets in advance; the suggested temperature and time cooks the fish fillets just right; presentation is fun; and cleanup is a breeze. It’s easy to make simple customizations too: no olives here, kid-sized portions there—just write a name or initial on the parchment with a pencil.
Makes 4
PARCHMENT-BAKED COD WITH TANGERINE AND KALE
1 bunch Tuscan kale, ribs removed and leaves thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1½ teaspoons flaky sea salt, divided
4 tangerines, each sliced into 4 rounds
4 flaky white fish fillets, about 6 ounces each (Icelandic cod, snapper, or other super-fresh fish)
Cut 4 large pieces of parchment paper into 18-inch hearts by folding each piece in half and use scissors to cut half a heart. Unfold and set aside.
In a medium bowl, toss together the kale, fennel, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt. Just off-center on a parchment heart, layer 2 tangerine slices, a mound of the veggies, and a fish fillet. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, drizzle with a little olive oil, and top with 2 more tangerine slices. Repeat with all 4 parchment hearts. Fold and bake according to instructions that follow.
- Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis’ “Fennel Snapper in Parchment” in Happy Cooking.
PARCHMENT-BAKED COD WITH POTATOES AND OLIVES
2 medium (4-inch) French fingerling potatoes or 1 large Yukon Gold, washed and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 sprigs fresh oregano
1½ teaspoons flaky sea salt, divided
4 flaky white fish fillets, about 6 ounces each (Icelandic cod, snapper, or other super-fresh fish)
1 lemon, washed and sliced into thin rounds
¼ cup pitted oil-cured black olives (or Niçoise or Kalamata olives)
Cut 4 large pieces of parchment paper into 18-inch hearts by folding each piece in half and use scissors to cut half a heart. Unfold and set aside.
In a small bowl, toss together the potato slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil, oregano leaves, and ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange about 8 potato slices just off-center on each parchment heart, overlapping slightly to make a thin bed for the fish. Place a fish fillet on top of the potato slices, top with 2 slices of lemon, a few olives, a pinch or two of sea salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle on any remaining oregano leaves from the potato bowl. Fold and bake according to instructions that follow.
PARCHMENT FOLDING AND BAKING
Preheat oven to 425°F. Wash and dry your hands so that you can seal the hearts with clean and tight little folds. Start at the rounded top of the heart and fold over the edge 3 times, crimping with your fingernail against the work surface with each fold. Move down and make another fold about every 1½ inches, creasing tightly, each overlapping the last, all the way around the edge of each heart. Finish by twisting the end. Place packets on a rimmed sheet pan. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until packets are puffed and beginning to brown slightly. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Serve packets directly on plates so each person can tear his or hers open at the table.
