When you cook ingredients like fish, meat, veggies and herbs in a parchment paper packet, you're steaming the ingredients inside using their own moisture — no added fat required. Plus, there's no need to dirty pans, so cleanup is as simple as tossing the paper in the trash.

This means that if you're cooking in a skillet over medium, medium-low, or low heat, you'll probably be fine using parchment. Hill uses it in the oven all the time for any temps under 450°F, but never risks using it on the grill, with the broiler, or in a skillet over high heat because the temperature can exceed 500°F.

It helps ensure baking sheets stay clean, prevents baked goods from over-browning and sticking to the pan, keeps poaching liquids from evaporating, and can be used as a sling around bread dough or cheesecake to help release them from the pan. You can even use it to line the basket of your air fryer.

​“En papillote” refers to a cooking method where ingredients – often including fish – are placed in a bag made of parchment paper before being baked in an oven.