Recently, a good friend wanted ideas for how to prepare fish at home. I suggested preparing fish “in parchment,” which is a healthy way of steaming fish in its own juices by baking it in a pouch made out of parchment paper. Don’t let the French name fool you into thinking it’s fussy. The method is simple; the possibilities endless.As the name suggests, the pouch for cooking the fish is created using parchment paper, but aluminum foil works too. With foil, it is best to avoid acidic ingredients such as lemon juice or white wine, as they may react with the foil leading to an unpleasant taste. The fish may also cook more quickly in foil than it would in parchment, so adjust accordingly if you use it.
Last night, I prepared Cod en Papillote with lemon, tarragon and crushed fennel seeds on a bed of summer squash from my CSA farm share. It was light, tasty, healthy – delightful!
I LOVE this method of cooking. Why? because it’s almost error-proof! I’m not Julie or Julia and I’ve been able to make perfect fish and veggies everytime.
Lisa
p.s. what’s a CSA?
You are an inspiration, Lis! “CSA” stands for Community Supported Agriculture – it’s the farm share that I participate in. Yesterday I got summersquash, cantaloupe, watermelon, garlic, tomatoes, and peppers. Yummy. Thanks for asking…