Capsaicin Free Cod en Papillote with Lemon, Herbs & Cherry Tomatoes
Cooking fish at home can feel intimidating, but this parchment-wrapped method is genuinely foolproof and produces results that look far more impressive than the effort involved. Flaky cod sits on a bed of tender zucchini and juicy cherry tomatoes, steamed in its own fragrant pocket with garlic-infused oil, fresh thyme, lemon rounds, and a splash of dry white wine. Everything stays incredibly moist because the sealed parcel traps all that herb-scented steam right around the fish as it bakes. For anyone avoiding capsaicin, this recipe is naturally built around bright, clean flavors — the red pepper flakes listed are explicitly optional and easy to leave out entirely without losing anything. The lemon and fresh parsley do all the heavy lifting, giving the dish a light, vibrant finish that feels almost Mediterranean. Opening the puffed parchment at the table releases a cloud of fragrant steam, which makes the whole thing feel like a restaurant moment in your own kitchen. Serve it straight from the parcel with the reserved lemon wedges and you have a complete, elegant meal with almost no cleanup.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 cod fillets (6 oz each), skin-on or skinless
- 3 tbsp garlic-infused oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 lemon, half thinly sliced into rounds, half cut into wedges for serving
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 4 scallions, green tops only, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Can be omittedred pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp dry white wine
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Cut four sheets of parchment paper, each about 15 inches long. Fold each sheet in half crosswise to crease the center, then open them flat on a baking sheet.
- 2
Arrange a few zucchini rounds in a single layer on one half of each parchment sheet, just off the center crease. Scatter a quarter of the cherry tomatoes over the zucchini on each sheet.
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