Air fryer cod en papillote
These colourful, steamy cod parcels are packed with Mediterranean flavours. Serve with a mixed salad for a healthy midweek meal.
Ingredients
- 10²µ/â…“o³ú pine nuts
- ½ small lemon
- 2 cod or haddock fillets (125g/4½oz each), skinless, boneless, tail end (see tip)
- 4 tsp sun-dried tomato paste or fresh basil pesto
- 40g/1½ oz roasted red or yellow peppers from a jar, drained and cut into thin strips
- 30g/1oz pitted green and black olives, sliced or gently squished
- 4–6 large fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
- 20²µ/½´Ç³ú sun-dried tomatoes from a jar, drained and sliced
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- salad and/or new potatoes, to serve
Method
Remove the crisper plate (grill pan/tray) from the drawer (basket) of your air fryer. Scatter the pine nuts over the base and cook at 200C for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, checking and shaking after 2 minutes. Watch carefully and cook the last minute in 30 second increments. Tip the pine nuts into a bowl and set aside. Once the drawer is cool enough, carefully return the crisper plate.
Cut one thin slice from the lemon and cut the slice in half. Cut what remains of the lemon into two wedges and set aside.
Cut 2 x 30cm/12in baking paper circles (see tip), then fold in half and open out again. Place the fish fillets on one side of each piece of paper, skin-side up (you will still be able to tell, even though the fish is skinned).
Spread the fish with the sundried tomato paste and top the wider half of each fillet with the toasted pine nuts, peppers, olives and basil leaves. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with a little salt and black pepper. Wrap the tail ends around the filling and place a slice of lemon on top to help keep the filling in place.
Fold the paper over the fillings to make two semi-circles and fold in all the edges to make two crescent shaped parcels. Don’t overtighten or the heat won’t be able to penetrate the parcels.
Preheat the air fryer at 200C for 3 minutes. Place the parcels carefully on the crisper plate (grill pan/tray) with the straighter sides facing each other but leaving as much space around the parcels as possible for air to flow.
Cook at 180C for 12 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked and the filling is hot. Gently remove the paper parcels and divide between two plates. Serve with salad, new potatoes and the reserved lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Recipe Tips
This recipe is designed to use tail-end cod or haddock fillets that wrap around the filling. If you buy thicker fillets or loin, you will need to place the filling ingredients on top of the fish instead. You could also try using sea bream or sea bass fillets.
If the fish isn’t hot throughout after the 12 minutes, rewrap, return to the air fryer and cook for a few minutes more.
To make the right sized pieces of paper for the parcels, place a large piece of baking paper on a worksurface and draw around a 25cm/10in dinner plate or cake tin to make two circles. Cut around the circles adding a 2.5cm/1in border to give 2 x 30cm/12in paper discs. Keep the paper well away from any heating element in the air fryer.