Cod en papillote in 20 minutes

Yesterday I had a great dinner.  It wasn’t perfect because I was dining by myself, my true love being in the wilds of Yorkshire.  It was, however, very flavorful, healthy, and simple.  In fact, this meal was so simple it only took about 17 minutes from start to finish and required nothing special to buy other than a 6 oz portion of cod.

I’m not much of a one-pot cook.  I like a structured meal – a protein, two vegetables, and a green salad served as dessert.  Every once in a while I’ll make a pasta or something in the skillet, but those occasions are rare and my thinking (and shopping) is based on protein, two veg, and salad. Yesterday I got involved in a couple of chores in mid-afternoon and lost track of the time.  Around 6:30 pm my parrots began getting cranky to remind me that it was dinner time. After all, they eat when I eat.

So I wrapped up what I was doing and began to think about what to make for dinner.  I needed to do something quick (the parrots were getting more frantic) and it needed to include a piece of cod I bought the day before.  I started improvising but things came together pretty soon, and the result was a great meal with three distinct elements, each with a strong flavor profile that complemented the whole. Here goes (timings are approximate).

6:35 – Preheat oven to 425°.  Lay a generous piece of aluminum foil over a shallow baking pan.  Brush 1 tbl olive oil over the foil, leaving an edge of about 2″ unoiled.  I had some fresh herbs so I laid 3-4 springs of thyme in the center of the foil.  Add three slices of lemon.  Place the fish on top of the lemon.  Salt and pepper to taste.  I also had some za’tar in the pantry and sprinkled some of that on top – you could substitute any dry blend of spices or herbs.  Add a generous splash of dry white wine.  Starting the long way, begin crimping the foil in little folds until it is right next to the fish.  Then fold the ends in little folds to create an air tight container for the fish.  Set aside until the oven is ready.

6:37 – Peel and slice a carrot.  Put the slices in a small saucepan and add enough water to come halfway up the carrots.  Put on the stove on high with the lid slightly ajar.

6:39 – Slice three 1/4″ slices from a purple onion.  Set aside.  Trim 6-8 button or cremini mushrooms and then slice into 1/4″ slices. Set aside.

The oven should be ready.  Put the baking pan with the foil wrapped fish in the oven.  What’s going to happen is that the wine and the juices released from the fish will mix with the herbs, lemon and seasoning to create an aromatic steam that will cook the fish.  If you are serving this to guests, it also makes for a great presentation to give everyone a sealed packet and have them open their main course themselves.  The technical name is en papillote, which is French for “in paper.”  This could also be done with parchment paper, but it’s a great way to cook both fish and vegetables.

Start preheating a skillet to medium high.

6:41 – Add 2 tbl butter (if you have bacon or chicken fat on hand, use that instead) to the skillet.  While the butter is melting, finish any mushroom slicing you might need to do.

6:42 – Add the onions to the skillet and stir until covered by the butter.  They should start getting soft in a couple of minutes.  While you wait for the onions, check the carrots.  If there is water left, do nothing.  If the water is almost gone, poke a carrot with knife to see if it’s done.  If it is, turn off the heat.  If not, add another tablespoon of water.

6:43 – Add the mushroom to the skillet and stir thoroughly.  Cover the skillet.

6:44 – Check the carrots again – they should be ready.  Add a splash of sherry vinegar, a splash of extra virgin olive oil, and a generous pinch of herbes de provence (if you don’t have any, any herb will do).  Turn off the heat, cover, shake everything up so the carrots get coated and set aside.

6:45 – Set the table.  Open the wine.

6:46 – Uncover the mushrooms and stir them about for a bit.  Add a teaspoon of dijon mustard, a splash of sherry vinegar, and a generous pinch of dried tarragon and mix everything together.

6:48 – Take the mushrooms off the heat, and plate. Plate the carrots.

6:49 – Take the fish from the oven and unwrap.  Let the steam escape for a few seconds, then scoop out the fish with a slotted spatula.  Spoon some of the liquid over the fish once it is plated.

6:50 – Eat.

There you go.  Fifteen minutes from start to finish for fresh vegetables and fish, and each elements tastes great.