This easy weeknight recipe pairs up mild, flaky Pacific cod with tender new potatoes and hearty kale for a one-pouch meal that's on the dinner table in under 30 minutes. Try cooking this meal in the oven, or even on the grill.
Cooked en papillote, Pacific cod is steamed to tender perfection in an aromatic mix of white wine, lemon slices, and garlic, perfumed with a sprig of thyme. This steam will also gently infuse the fish, potatoes, and kale with flavor for an effortlessly tasty meal.
To ensure that the potatoes are cooked through by the time the cod is done, they'll need to be parboiled before you put them in the packet.
How to Make a Packet to Cook en Papillote
A tight seal is key when cooking en papillote, as it is what keeps the steam, liquids, and flavors from seeping out of the packet.
Parchment paper is the classic material to use when creating a packet for cooking en papillote, but you can use aluminum foil too. When measuring out the parchment or foil, just eyeball how much you think you'll need to create a pouch or parcel that can comfortably fit all of your ingredients while having enough space for steam to circulate. Also keep in mind that you'll want enough extra space around the edges to tightly crimp the parchment/aluminum together.
Aluminum foil crimps together easily, so you can leave the sheet in its rectangular form. If using parchment, though, we suggest shaping it so that you can get a better seal. To do this, fold the rectangular sheet in half, then trim it as if you were making a very large heart. To seal this parchment packet, you’ll start folding the edges over from the curved top (the top of the heart), working your way to the tip so that you can twist the end closed.
