Imagine, sitting down to dinner and enjoying a perfectly cooked piece of fish, infused with vibrant Mediterranean flavors, all wrapped up like a gift. My Greek-style Cod En Papillote delivers all that plus!

This easy dinner for two is simple enough for a weeknight dinner or fancy enough for a cozy date night at home. 

Now, before you get intimidated by this French term, let me reassure you—it’s simpler than it sounds. En Papillote means “cooked and served in paper.” Yes, it is easy and it’s as delicious as it sounds.

This cooking method is a clever way to steam seafood perfectly – while keeping cleanup to a minimum. Think of it as a flavor-packed parcel where your fish, along with herbs, spices, and veggies, mingle and combine into something truly special. 

In this recipe, I combined a few traditional Greek-style ingredients and put them inside the pouch with the cod. The result? A bright, tender, and slightly salty cod fillet and vegetables. Serve it with a side salad for a light and healthy seafood dinner.

What You Will Need to Make It

Let’s dive into what you will need to make my Greek-style cod En Papillote.

Cod:

Two, 6 to 8-ounce cod fillets. Cod is a heavier white fish and is perfect for this type of cooking method. It has a light, mild flavor so it pulls in the other flavors from the ingredients it is steaming with. 

Grape Tomatoes:

Cut in half, or quarters for larger tomatoes, the juice seeps into the fish adding a light tomatoey flavor. You could also dice a Roma tomato or a few cherry tomatoes. Ideally, a lower-moisture tomato is best so that a minimal amount of liquid is released while cooking.

Kalamata Olives:

These classic Greek olives are often found preserved in wine vinegar. They add a slightly sweet flavor to the cod and I love the burst of purple color against the white fish and red tomatoes.

Shallot:

Using slices of shallot as a base for the fish to sit on lifts the fish off the paper and helps infuse the cod with a mild onion and sweet garlic flavor. I chose a larger-sized shallot so the slices were large enough for the fillet to sit on and cut the shallot into 4, 1/4-inch slices.

Capers:

These salty little green berries add a burst of bright flavor and saltiness that infuses throughout the cod. 

What are capers? They are little flower buds of a caper bush found throughout the Mediterranean area. They are picked when they are very small and immature and packed in a brine, similar to what olives are packed in to preserve them. 

Lemon:

Can it be a seafood dish without a bit of lemon? I add a couple of slices of lemon on the sides of the cod before I wrap it up and squeeze just a little lemon juice over the top. Lemon always adds a burst of freshness to a dish and this is no exception. Plus it just pairs well with the other ingredients that are packed inside.

Oregano:

Fresh or dried oregano will work, although a sprig of fresh oregano seems to infuse more flavor than dried but use what you have! Either add a slight peppery flavor. It is a classic flavor in many Greek dishes just remember a little goes a long way! 

How to Make It

While wrapping the fish in parchment paper, or the En papillote technique, may look difficult, it is a simple and very flavorful way to cook fish. Watch my video in Step 3 to see how to fold and wrap the parchment paper and then give it a try!

Step 1: Organize

Cut 2, 12 x 12 pieces of parchment paper. (You can use foil if you don’t have parchment paper) 

Place the sheet on a cutting board and assemble all of your ingredients. Sprinkle the cod with a little black pepper. Preheat the oven and get a sheet pan ready.

Step 2: Assemble Packets

Place 2 slices of shallots in the middle of the parchment paper. Place the cod on top and then add half of each of the tomatoes, olives, and capers on top of the cod. Put one lemon slice on each side of the cod and a sprig of oregano on top.

Step 3: Wrap the Packets

There are a couple of different ways to seal these packets. I’m showing you what I think is the simplest way in this video, but just know others may show a different method. As long as you get a good tightly sealed packet, either will work!

Pull two sides of the parchment to the center, directly over top of the cod and ingredients. Fold the two sides together, about a ¼ inch, and crease it. Continue folding it over, creasing as you go until it is just snug on top of the fish and ingredients. 

Turn it a quarter and roll the side up the same way, creasing as you go. Turn it to the other side and do the same. You’ll have a nice packet that you can then place on the sheet pan.

Step 4: Bake the Fish

Place both packets on a sheet pan. Put it in the middle of a preheated oven and bake them for 15 – 20 minutes. Check to make sure they are done by piercing the packet with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the fish fillet. The temperature should be 135°F. (it will rise to 140°F by the time it is served)

Variations

You could use another fish if you can’t find cod or prefer something else. I recommend using another firm, mild white fish like haddock. If you use a lighter, more tender fish, decrease the cooking time.

In place of fresh tomatoes, you could use canned. They will add more liquid to the packet so just be aware of that.

You can use dried oregano in place of fresh or if you don’t like oregano, replace it with basil and some parsley. 

Storage Tips

For best results enjoy this dish right out of the oven. However, if you can’t eat all of it, you can refrigerate the leftovers for a day. This recipe will not freeze well so it is best to only make what you will eat. This is perfect for just one or two servings and comes together quickly. It is an easy weeknight meal!

Other Recipes You Will Love

If you love seafood, I have you covered! Here are a few more seafood recipes to check out!

Cod Veracruz

Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl

Shrimp in Tomato Sauce with Artichokes

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