Cod en Papillote

It’s fish share day again and this week’s Fresh Catch was cod. As much as I love creating all of my silly little fish recipes, I still think the best way to enjoy fresh cod is simply baked with butter. Wrapping it in parchment paper allows the fish to steam as it bakes without drying out the meat.

Also, making the papillote, or pouch, is like making a fun little Valentine for your fish, because the paper is cut into a heart shape before the sides are tucked.

Dill is the classic match for cod and lends its fresh, grassy flavor without barging right in, and butter is butter. You know the deal.

Any white round fish similar to cod (haddock, pollock, etc), will work perfectly for this dish. I just happened to have plenty of fresh cod laying around today.

Cod en Papillote – serves 2 – 4

1 – 1 lb cod, haddock or pollock fillet
2 T butter
3 – 5 sprigs of fresh dill, finely chopped (about 2 T)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

While the oven preheats, melt the butter in an oven-proof dish until lightly browned and bubbling.

Place the fillet diagonally on the left-hand side of a large piece of parchment paper – large enough for the right half of the paper to fold over the top of the fillet. Fold the right-hand side of the paper over the fish. Allowing a 2 or 3 inch margin on all sides, cut out the silhouette of the fish just as if you’re cutting out a heart for a Valentine Day card.

Turn the paper back again to pour the browned butter over the fish and sprinkle with dill.

Fold the paper over. Tuck and crease the edges to form a seal.

Cook for 10-15 minutes until the fish is just beginning to flake apart with a fork.

The fish and butter will form a rich sauce in the papillote. Be sure to spoon this over each serving for maximum yums.

Serve hot.

Oven Roasted Fillet of Cod

Last night was fish share night for us and we got a lovely whole cod fresh from waters outside our house. Once scaled and filleted we had about 2 lbs of meat. Not bad at all.

Cod is a meaty white fish with a delicate flavor. It lends itself well to a variety of preparations, but I like it simply done to let the meat speak for itself. This recipe uses simply butter, olive oil and lemon juice. We served it with a side of sautéed bok choy.

Oven Roasted Fillet of Cod – serves 4

2 lbs of cod fillets
3 T butter
2 T olive oil
juice of half a lemon
salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and move the rack to the highest level.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter and combine. Lightly salt the cod.

Lightly grease a baking sheet and arrange fillets on top. Brush fillets with half of the butter mixture. Roast for 10 minutes. Brush with the butter mixture and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the fish just starts to flake.

Serve hot.

Ingredient origins: Cod – the waters off of the lovely New England shore; butter – Maine; Olive oil – Italy; lemon – Mexico