No-Fear Fish: Cook It in Foil

But it has a tendency to dry out easily, and cleaning it up can be a messy affair—ever gotten fish skin stuck to your favorite pan?

Thanks to a little French technique, you can have amazingly tender, no-mess fish in just about 30 minutes. The name of the game? En papillote.

This cooking method refers to steaming food inside a sealed packet of foil or parchment paper. You may know it by its Italian name, “al cartoccio,” or you may be familiar with the banana leaf parcels that are popular in parts of Latin America, Southeast Asia, and beyond.

Whatever wrapper you reach for guarantees perfectly tender fish every time—as the moisture in the packets heats up, it turns into steam that gently cooks the fish through. 

Any seasonings you add to the foil packets perfume the fish beautifully. We like to use fresh thyme, lemon zest, and a pat of butter, but you can raid your pantry and fridge for some fish-spiration (how about a sun-dried tomato topping?).

Plus, it’s a great way to get kids in the kitchen—creating their foil packets will almost feel like crafting. The fun of it all might even encourage picky eaters to try fish for the first time!

You can even make an entire meal en papillote by serving halibut on a bed of couscous with a savory coconut sauce. Don’t limit your foil packets to fish either; try chicken or asparagus.

And when you're done eating, just toss the foil packets right in the trash and your dishes right in the dishwasher—no prerinse needed.