Cod in Parchment Packets

Sometimes you've just got to start at the start. I've had this blog set up for almost two years and I haven't posted anything for all sorts of stupid reasons (usually it's time, but often it's because I don't like the photo of the meal!).

So I'm just going to post for the sake of getting going. I'm not going to think about a long introduction. I'm not going to worry about the fact that the background picture at the very top is actually a baking picture and not a dinner picture. Oh well.

John and I made a great, easy meal and here's how you can make it too:

Cod in Parchment Packets
2 servings

1 pound Cod or other flaky fish (we got a pack from Costco and froze the rest for fish tacos)
1 lemon
1 roma tomato
half a small onion (yellow or sweet)
few sprigs of thyme
olive oil
s & p
2 pieces of parchment paper about 3 hand widths square (I think aluminum foil might work just as well)

Preheat the oven to 400.

Slice the lemon, onion, and tomato as thin as you can. Remove any bones from the fish and cut into 2 portions (this doesn't need to be in 2 neat pieces, our packets had multiple pieces in each). Drizzle a little olive oil in the center of the 2 parchments and then layer on each: onion, lemon, fish, thyme, s&P, and the tomatoes. Drizzle this again with a little oil.


Lift the edges of the paper up over the top of the pile and then fold the edges over each other to seal the packet lengthwise. Fold each end under until it's a fairly tight little packet.

Bake the packets on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes. The parchment will brown as it cooks, but it won't burn. The delicious liquid inside is almost the best part, but it will flood the plate if you rip the packets. Either open the packets on the cookie sheet and take the contents out (spooning some of the liquid over the fish), or carefully lift the packets onto plates. Serve it with something that can soak up some of the liquid. I did risotto in the photo above, but I think little roasted potatoes and a salad would be perfect.