Cod baked in parchment, fennel and lemon .
The evening parcel that cooks itself without watching, that does not weigh on digestion and that leaves the kitchen clean. Delicate cod, crunchy fennel, lemon that perfumes everything. Low GI, moderate sodium.
Steps step-by-step
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Preheat and prep the fennel
Preheat the oven to 200 °C fan. Trim the base of the fennel bulbs and remove any damaged outer leaves. Slice into thin strips (3 mm) on a mandoline or with a knife.
Keep the green fronds of the fennel, they snip into an aromatic topping. -
Prep aromatics and garnishes
Mince the garlic. Cut the lemon into thin rounds. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Roughly chop the dill.
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Assemble the parcels
On each parchment square, lay down a bed of fennel (1/4 of the volume), salt and pepper. Place a cod fillet on top, season lightly. Scatter the garlic, tomatoes, olives, 2-3 lemon rounds and dill sprigs. Drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil per parcel.
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Close the parcels
Fold the parchment in half. Seal the 3 sides tightly by crimping in a spiral (or folding and rolling). No air should escape during cooking: it is the steam that cooks the fish.
No parchment paper? Use aluminium foil, but the cooking is slightly different. -
Bake
Arrange the parcels on a baking tray. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The parcels will puff up, that is a good sign. The cod should flake easily.
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Open and serve
Serve the parcels sealed on each plate. Open them at the table, mind the steam. The fragrant steam that escapes is part of the pleasure.
Nutrition values
Per serving · 280 kcal · Low GICompatible with
- Type 2 diabetes · low GI, very low glycemic load
- Gluten-free · no grains
- Lactose-free · no milk protein
- Pescatarian · fish allowed
- Cholesterol / DASH · lean protein, moderate sodium
- High blood pressure · go easy on olives if sodium is strict
- Halal · compliant ingredients
- Kosher · fish with scales
Substitutions possible
- No cod? Pollock, hake, or halibut (same cooking time).
- Fish allergy? Marinated firm tofu (12 min only) or flattened chicken breast (22 min).
- No fennel? Thinly sliced leeks or zucchini in fine ribbons.
- No olives? Capers, or skip them to cut the sodium.
- Iodine-restricted diet? Cod is fine in moderate amounts, ask your doctor.
