Cod en Papillote with Rosemary Walnut Tapenade and Pan Seared Zucchini
Parchment is one of your kitchen BFF's. Especially when you want to delicately cook fish. 'En papillote' just means 'in parchment' in French. 'Al cartoccio' is the Italian equivalent. Cooking en papillote is so easy because it does the work for you. I'm a fan of any process where I can do little work and still produce a delicious meal.
You'll want to start by making your tapenade, an olive spread originating in France. In a food processor, combine 1T of drained and rinsed capers, a 12" sprig of rosemary, 2 garlic cloves, 1T of anchovy paste, 1/4 cup of toasted walnuts (heat in pan over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes or until you can smell them), 1T of black pepper, and 2 cups of rinsed black olives. Pulse until you have a thick paste, then add the juice of 1/2 a lime, and slowly stream in 1/4 cup olive oil. Though you may be tempted to add a pinch of salt, DON'T. The capers are packed in brine. The olives are packed in brine. And the anchovy paste is made from salted, preserved anchovies. That's a lot of salt already, so no need to add any more or your tapenade will most likely be inedible. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter while you prepare your fish.
To prepare your fish, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Take a 24" sheet of parchment and lie it on a baking sheet. Place two, 6oz. cod fillets in the middle of the parchment width-wise and place it lengthwise so that there are 8" of paper on one side, and 12" on the other. Drizzle with olive oil and 1tsp of honey. Add 2tsp of chopped rosemary and a pinch of black pepper. First fold the 8" piece over the fish, then do the same with each of the side pieces of parchment. Take the remaining 12" piece and crimp it in 1" folds under itself so that it is tucked under the fish. Cut a slit in the top of the parchment to let the steam out and bake for 25 minutes or until fish flakes apart easily.
Finished product:
The zucchini is so simple, even a caveman could do it. Or your husband or wife who's never cooked a day in his/her life. Heat 1T of butter in a pan over high heat. Season the butter with a pinch of black pepper. Chop one 10" zucchini into 10 equal pieces and place the pieces flat into the pan. Cook on each side for 7 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve the zucchini and fish hot with the tapende as the garnish.
This normally robust cod is delicately cooked to succulent perfection. The honey only highlights the already sweet fish, and the tapenade is intensely tangy with a pungent flavor that overpowers your taste buds in a fantastic symphony of sharp tones. Lastly, the purity of the seared zucchini is a perfect compliment to the main dish. Buon appetito!
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