Cod and Vegetables En Papillote

Cooking en papillote, or cooking something wrapped in either parchment paper or foil, is an old French way of cooking meats, fish and vegetables. Italians refer to this cooking method as al cartoccio. This current cooking technique has been around since the 17th century, though this method has really been around much longer and evolved from ancient nomadic practices of cooking food wrapped in leaves or clay, refined over time to produce a moist, aromatic dish with easy cleanup and impressive, tableside presentation. It steams the insides of the pouch in their own juices.

When cooking foods en papillote, the food is placed on parchment paper, often with herbs, vegetables, and a fat like butter, then sealed by folding and crimping the edges. The packet puffs up in the oven as steam builds, cooking the ingredients quickly.

For a change of pace, I decided to go fancy and French, and I prepared my cod and vegetables en papillote. Even though I tend not to cook a lot of fancy foods, I certainly know how, and every now and then I still do, just to stay in practice. But really, this cooking technique only looks fancy. In reality, it’s really very easy. 🙂

Cod and Vegetables En Papillote

I used cod this time, but you can use any hearty, thicker fish. You can also vary the vegetables used. This time I used zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, garlic and shallots. You can serve this fish by itself, or over rice or pasta with a light sauce, like I did.

2 large cod filets, cut into pieces about 4-5 oz each

1 carrot, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced very thin

1 shallot, sliced very thin

4-5 garlic cloves, sliced very thin

1 tomato, diced

olive oil

1/4-1/3 cup dry white wine

salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

butter – I used my new Monet’s Garden specialty butter Bella La Crema

2-3 TBSP chopped basil, divided

Preheat the oven to 450*F or 233*C.

Get a large piece or either aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Place it on a baking sheet.

Start with the fish pieces, then add the layers of vegetables, seasonings, butter and wine on top.

Add about 1/2 of the chopped basil before wrapping it up and baking. Crimp the edges tightly to keep all the liquids inside the pouch.

Bake for about 20 minutes or so. Before serving, open the pouch and release some of the steam.

You can serve it as it with your favorite side dishes, or you can can serve it over pasta or rice. I served mine over linguini with some of my leftover red curry cream sauce and then topped it with some fresh basil. To really make the meal French, I served warmed croissants on the side, topped with more of my Monet’s Garden butter from Bella La Crema, and a glass or two of a cool, crisp dry white wine on the side.

!C’est si bon! Delicieuse! The fish was so moist and tender and the delicate flavors all came together perfectly. We could really taste the deliciousness of the Monet’s Garden butter too. Those flavors really brought the fish to life.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it great. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.