Cooking en Papillote typically uses baking or parchment paper to envelop fish or other meats, vegetables and spices for cooking. The fish cooks evenly in a moist environment and the paper package seals in juices and aromatic scents. The steamy environment causes the package to puff up and when you open it up, the warm aromatic scents escape and surround you.
Food History: Supposedly, the papillote cooking method was developed to honor a Brazilian balloonist at a banquet. I also found an early reference to cooking rougets (barbet-rougets or mullet) in papillotes from Brillat-Savarin from the Physiology of Taste (1825). So, clearly this is a classic cooking technique.
Food Geek Moment: Foil can be used as a replacement, but if you include a lot of acidic ingredients and spices in the packet, there is some potential for the development of harmless aluminum salts which may slightly affect flavors and for aluminum oxidation which may form small pinholes in the aluminum.Grapefruit and Cod in Papillote
Serves 4
Fish: 5 ounce filets of cod, skin removed
Salt and pepper
Vegetables/fruit:
1 Pink grapefruit, cut in wedges plus the juice
1 small zucchini, julienned with skin
20 snow peas, blanched quickly (optional to blanch) and julienned
4 small heirloom tomatoes or 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 medium size white or low starch potatoes like Yukon golds, sliced thin
Serves 4
Fish: 5 ounce filets of cod, skin removed
Salt and pepper
Vegetables/fruit:
1 Pink grapefruit, cut in wedges plus the juice
1 small zucchini, julienned with skin
20 snow peas, blanched quickly (optional to blanch) and julienned
4 small heirloom tomatoes or 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 medium size white or low starch potatoes like Yukon golds, sliced thin
Seasonings/Spices/Herbs (these are estimates):
1 tablespoon of minced parsley
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger chopped or zested
1 teaspoon each of mild chili powder and sweet curry powder
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1. Lay out enough parchment paper to fully wrap the ingredients and still allow for the paper to puff some.
2. Add a thin layer of the potatoes in the center of the paper, top with fish filet seasoned lightly with salt and ground pepper.
3. Mix the zucchini, peas, tomatoes together in a bowl, add olive oil and mix with the spices and zest, arrange on the filet.
4. Top with grapefruit wedges and parsley and drizzle grapefruit juice and teaspoon of olive oil over ingredients.
5. Cook for 15-20 minutes at 375F or 190C
1 tablespoon of minced parsley
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger chopped or zested
1 teaspoon each of mild chili powder and sweet curry powder
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1. Lay out enough parchment paper to fully wrap the ingredients and still allow for the paper to puff some.
2. Add a thin layer of the potatoes in the center of the paper, top with fish filet seasoned lightly with salt and ground pepper.
3. Mix the zucchini, peas, tomatoes together in a bowl, add olive oil and mix with the spices and zest, arrange on the filet.
4. Top with grapefruit wedges and parsley and drizzle grapefruit juice and teaspoon of olive oil over ingredients.
5. Cook for 15-20 minutes at 375F or 190C
Two Papillote Wrapping Options: 
Rectangle and a half-heart. For the rectangle, make sure to overlap the sides, then fold the length ends together to form a triangle like wrapping a box and tie with cooking twine. For the heart cut a large heart shape and place ingredients on only one side of the heart. Fold over and crimp the edges together. If the parchment paper is a very thin variety, double up the paper when preparing your shape.Nutrition for each cod en papillote:
Calories: 207
Carbohydrates: 27 grams
Protein: 10 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Sodium: 38 milligrams naturally occurring without additional added salt
Cholesterol: 53 grams
Calories: 207
Carbohydrates: 27 grams
Protein: 10 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Sodium: 38 milligrams naturally occurring without additional added salt
Cholesterol: 53 grams
Food photos by M. Henriot photographer
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Interesting looking dish it must taste and smell wonderful. I love aromatic cooking like this. I am wondering what people did before parchment paper or before paper was more of a commodity. Would this work as well in some type of steam cooker or perhaps a cast iron pot with a heavy lid?
ReplyDeleteA steam cooker or iron pot would dry out the ingredients and would not fuse the flavors in the same way. The iron pot would tend to over cook the meat. The closest thing to paper would be something like a banana leaf.
ReplyDeleteI did have a friend test the cod recipe in parchment paper on his cooktop using a pan with a covered lid. He said he cooked it on low heat and that it cooked the ingredients properly, but I think the key is low heat. Plus using a rack in the pot so that the fish/paper doesn't directly conduct the heat from the pan would be best. But as Brenda points out retaining moisture is key and banana leaves are great for that plus present really well on a plate.
ReplyDeleteOMG, Michelle. This looks fabulous.
ReplyDelete