‘poisson en papillotte’ or ‘fish in parchment’

A few years ago, I landed upon a recipe for fish in parchment or ‘poisson en papillotte’ as the French call it.  It was one of those recipes that almost wasn’t, it was so easy.  Though any fish would do, I opted for halibut and knew at once I had rediscovered an old friend. 

Parchment effectively seals in moisture, essentially poaching the fish in its own juices.  The method couldn’t be easier or more versatile and is a whole lot healthier, yet no less flavorful.  My seven year old daughter loves to make her own ‘packet’ and this is easily one of her favorite meals.  Although the recipe below showcases halibut, the same preparation would work for a wide array of fish and vegetable pairings.  

yields 4 servings
 

ingredients

rice
3 cups short grain brown rice
6 cups water
2 – 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 – 1/2 teaspoons salt

fish + vegetables
16 ounces fresh halibut, tilapia or salmon, as desired, skin removed
8 medium-sized sea scallops, optional
12 medium-sized wild shrimp or prawns, optional
1 bunch carrots, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch rounds
2 medium crowns broccoli, florets cut in bite-sized pieces
2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut in 1/2 inch pieces
12 crimini mushrooms, quartered, stems trimmed
2 –3 leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced in 1/4 inch rings
1 lemon, cut in 4 wedges 
1 bunch fresh dill

seasoning
2 – 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
crisp white wine such as chardonnay or pinot gris, nothing too fruity
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
coarse sea salt

4 large sheets parchment paper (15 x 20)

 

directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

rice
Place water, rice, butter and salt in a medium pot with a lid.  Bring to a boil.  Stir once.  Cover and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook for 40 – 50 minutes.  When water is absorbed, remove from heat and fluff with a fork.  

fish + vegetables
Rinse fish, scallops and shrimp with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Divide the fish into four servings.  Set aside.

Place the prepared vegetables in separate bowls.  Be sure to rinse the leeks well to remove all sand and grit. 

Place a piece of fish, off center, on the right side of the parchment, leaving a 3-inch border to the right.  Surround the fish with two scallops, three prawns and a handful each of carrots, broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms.  Place a sprig of dill over the center.  Scatter leeks over all.  Dot with one tablespoon butter, drizzle with olive oil, add a few splashes of white wine and season with coarse salt.

Fold one side of the parchment over the fish and vegetables, so that the corners meet.  Fold over the edges several times to seal the packet.  If personalizing the ingredients in each packet, use a sharpie to write initials on one of the folded-over edges. 

 

Place the packets, folded edges up, on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Carefully tear open the packets to retain the fragrant juices inside.  Pour fish and juices directly over a bed of brown rice and serve while hot.

chard stuffed pork roast

 
hello dinner.


I have the excellent fortune of living in close proximity to a very good butcher who carries the freshest and most diverse selection of natural meat I have ever tasted or laid eyes upon, primarily sourced from local farms. 

For this recipe, my butcher butterflies the roast, allowing me to roll in the stuffing, pinwheel style.  An easier method is to cut a lengthwise slit in the center of the pork, about a half inch from the outer edge, taking care not to cut the roast in half.  The stuffing fits nicely in the center and the loin is secured with cooking twine once it is stuffed, so be sure to have that on hand.

When I prepare the stuffing, I use a special chili pepper from Syria, called Aleppo pepper.  I highly recommend this if you can find it.  Otherwise, use traditional red pepper flakes.   

chard stuffed pork roast

Serves 6

ingredients

1 bunch Swiss chard, about 6 stalks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, fine dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup golden raisins
red pepper flakes (Aleppo, if available)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 1/2 pounds pork loin roast, at room temperature

directions

Wash the chard well.  Trim the ends of the stalks, about 1/2 inch or so.  Then, cut or tear the leaves away from the center ribs.  Finely chop the ribs and tear or roughly chop the chard leaves.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and starts to color,  about 5 minutes.  Season with salt.  Add the chard ribs and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add the chard leaves in two batches, adding the second when the first wilts enough to make room for it.  Cook until the chard is tender, about 5 minutes longer.  Stir in the raisins and transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.  Add a pinch or so of the chili flakes, plus salt and pepper, to taste. 

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.  Wipe clean the pan used for the chard mixture and place the pan in the hot oven.

Crack the peppercorns and coriander using a mortar and pestle or place between two sheets of waxed paper and pound with a mallet or skillet.  Set aside.

If your butcher has not already done so, use a long, sharp knife to make a lengthwise slit in the pork roast, taking care not to cut the meat in two, about 1/2 inch from the outer edge.  Open the roast  and spoon the stuffing onto the meat.  Close the meat around the stuffing and tie with kitchen twine, at intervals, replacing any stuffing that escapes as you go.

Rub the pork with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and rub the crushed peppercorns and coriander into the meat.  Carefully remove the hot roasting pan from the oven.  Place the pork loin, fat side up, in the hot pan.  Roast uncovered and undisturbed until the thickest part of the loin, not the stuffing, reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  Check at 25 minutes but expect that it will take about 40 minutes. 

Once the roast is done, remove from the oven and tent lightly with foil on a plate or cutting board.  The pork should rest for 15 minutes.  Pour any juices back into the roasting pan.  Place the pan on a burner over medium high heat and add 1/2 cup water to deglaze, scraping up brown bits and simmering until the juices thicken.  Remove from heat and set aside.

With kitchen shears, remove the twine from the roast and, using a careful sawing motion, cut the meat into 3/4 inch slices with stuffing intact.  Spoon a bit of the jus over each serving, as desired. 

Serve with simply roasted fingerling potatoes and oven roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta and shallots.

Pairs well with a spicy red blend such as Balboa Cat’s Meow or Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red.


*Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s exceptional cookbook, ‘Around My French Table’

turkey 3-bean chili

serves 8-10

ingredients

6 strips thick bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds ground dark meat turkey (I use Diestel)
3-4 cups chopped yellow onion (about 2 medium onions)
1/4 cup fresh garlic, minced
2 small fresh jalapeno chiles (ribs and seeds removed), minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2- 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes in puree (such as San Marzano)
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1 15.5. oz. can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5 oz can organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5 oz can organic kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tablespoon canola or extra light olive oil
3 teaspoons salt plus additional to season

toppings

sour cream
shredded jack or pepper jack cheese
cilantro
pickled peppers

 



directions

Heat a 5-quart cast iron or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.  Add bacon, cooking until well-crisped.  Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Add jalapeno to drippings, stirring to lightly color.  Add garlic, stirring again until fragrant and beginning to color.  Turn heat to medium high and add olive oil to garlic jalapeno mixture.  Add onions, stirring occasionally until translucent and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. 

Increase heat to high.  Add ground turkey, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until cooked through.  Drain as needed but reserve the liquid.  Once the meat is no longer pink and begins to brown, stir in the chili and cocoa powders and the cumin.  Stir in bacon.

Add the tomatoes and puree, breaking them up a bit with a spoon.  Add molasses and 1 cup reserved liquid plus 3 teaspoons salt.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Cook, partially covered, for about 30 minutes. 

Add beans, stirring gently, until well combined.  Cook uncovered until meat and beans are tender and chili thickens, at least 30 minutes or longer, as desired. 

Serve with assorted toppings

This chili recipe is loosely adapted from Everyday Food, Issue #10, January/February 2005.

spaghetti with simple tomato basil sauce, meatballs and fresh peas

yields 4 servings

ingredients

olive oil 
sea salt
2/3 pound fresh peas in pods
1 pound spaghetti (such as barilla plus)
a block of parmesan reggiano, for serving

meatballs
1/2 bunch marjoram, leaves picked, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 cup good quality fine bread crumbs*
1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan reggiano
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound ground sausage
1/2 pound ground beef

tomato basil sauce
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
1 – 28 oz. can good quality plum tomatoes
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
good quality balsamic vinegar

directions

Shell peas and set aside.

*For bread crumbs, tear half a crusty baguette (preferably day old) into small pieces and pulse until fine in a food processor.  Place in oven on low broil for 2 – 5 minutes, stirring as needed, until evenly browned.  Voila.  Instant bread crumbs.

meatballs
Combine first seven ingredients until well mixed.  With your hands, add ground beef and sausage to the mixture, breaking the meat into smaller chunks.  Claw at the meat rather than kneading it, being careful not to over mix as meat will easily become tough. 

Have a bowl of cold water nearby.  Dip hands in water before pinching off enough meat to gently form 1-1/2 inch balls.  Place meatballs on plate and set aside.

Place each meatball in the ‘cup’ of a cupcake tin, greased with olive oil.  Bake in the oven at 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until firm but not solid.  Cut into one meatball to be certain it is fully cooked.  This low-maintenance method eliminates the mess of cooking in the skillet and yields perfect meatballs with uniform color and shape.  For stovetop method, cook in two batches in a a large skillet with two glugs of olive oil, turning to brown evenly.  Once finished, transfer meatballs to a paper towel lined plate. 

At this point, place the spaghetti in a large pot of  boiling water and cook according to package directions, until al dente.

tomato sauce
Heat a medium saucepan and pour in a glug or two of olive oil.  Add sliced garlic and chopped basil stalks, stirring now and then until garlic begins to color.  Sprinkle 2/3 of the basil in the pan.  Add the tomatoes, sauce and all.  Bring to a simmer, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon.  Season to taste.  Add a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Stir and turn heat to medium-low to keep warm.

assembly
Warm meatballs in a large skillet over medium heat.  Divide pasta and meatballs between four plates or bowls.  Spoon over tomato sauce.  Sprinkle remaining basil and a handful of peas over each dish.  Finish with shaved parmesan.

Pairs well with a slightly sweet, fruit forward wine such as prosecco, rose or pinot grigio.

Recipe adapted from ‘Jamie at Home- Cook Your Way to the Good Life’ by Jamie Oliver.