Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 lb. boneless cod fillets, ¾-inch (1.9 cm) thick ((454 grams; 3 fillets))
  • cooking oil spray of choice
  • 1 lb. zucchini, cut into ½-inch (1.27 cm) thick slices ((454 grams))
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 6 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Lay out 3 pieces of foil, approximately 14-18 inches (35.6-45.7 cm) in length. Top each piece of foil with a piece of parchment paper, also 14-18 inches (35.6-45.7 cm) in length.
  • Mist each piece of parchment with the cooking oil spray.
  • Place the zucchini slices in a 3-slice by 4-slice rectangle in the middle of each sheet of parchment paper. Put any additional zucchini slices that are left on top of the rectangles. (If you use extremely large or small zucchini, the number of slices used per cod packet will vary.)
  • Put a cod fillet on top of each zucchini rectangle.
  • Pour ⅓ of the lemon juice on top of each piece of cod. Sprinkle the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, sage, and thinly sliced onions on top (in that order).
  • Put 2 pats of butter on top of the food in each packet (i.e., each packet gets one tablespoon of butter total).
  • Fold the parchment snugly around the food in each packet. You want the food to be completely covered in parchment. I folded the top and bottom of each packet and then the sides. Secure the parchment by folding the foil over the parchment in a similar way. First fold in the top and bottom of the foil, and then the sides. Use the photos and recipe video below as a guide in folding your parchment packets.
  • After each packet of food has been completely encased in the parchment and then the foil, you are ready to get steaming. Place the packets in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
  • Put the baking sheet with the packets on a rack one third down from the top of your preheated oven. Steam for 18-20 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
  • After the allotted cooking time, unwrap your packets. The fish should be tender and flaky. Check with a meat thermometer to ensure the fish reached a safe temp of 145°F (63°C). Add additional cooking time if needed.
  • To serve, plate the contents of the fish packets with any additional side dishes that you have prepared. I like to serve the fish and lemon-butter sauce in the packet on top of a cooked whole grain. Sometimes I serve the red onions on top of the fish, and sometimes I mix them with the cooked zucchini on the side.