Packaged perfection

Cooking en papillote creates dishes that are delectable and dramatic. Easy to prepare, too. It's the classic French technique that bakes ingredients sealed in a parchment-paper pouch. Each parcel contains one serving, and as it bakes, the food inside steams in its own juices. Toward the end of baking, each packet balloons into an alluring golden dome. Packets are slipped onto individual plates, and each diner tears or cuts open the package at the table, filling his nostrils with the aroma of fragrant steam.

For those looking for speedier preparation, quick-to-make packets can be made of aluminum foil.

Whether parchment or foil, I think en papillote is one of the best ways to cook fish, especially for company. The fish usually takes less than 12 minutes to cook, and the results are impressive. The ingredients team with steam to flavor the fish and create a complementary sauce.

Skinless, delicate fish fillets or medium-firm fish fillets work best. Try sea bass, snapper, halibut or salmon.

The ingredients within the packet can be as simple as a fish fillet topped with chopped fresh herbs, salt, pepper, butter and a tiny splash of dry white wine, dry vermouth or balsamic vinegar. Add a thin slice of lemon or a pinch of citrus zest if you like. Or maybe some sliced squash, such as yellow crookneck, and a teaspoon of chopped shallot.

Chefs love the simplicity of cooking fish en papillote. One of the ways that Jerry Traunfeld, executive chef at The Herbfarm restaurant in Seattle, likes to augment the fish fillets en papillote is to add fresh asparagus tips, carrots cut into match sticks, and sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms along with sliced green onions and a generous amount of dill. Sounds healthful, doesn't it?

Chef Jamie Gwen, cookbook author and host of a weekly food-related radio show, likes to give salmon en papillote a Provençal touch by adding potatoes, fennel and kalamata olives.

Alfred Portale, chef at the award-winning Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City, bathes striped sea bass en papillote in Asian flavors. He adds green onions, cilantro, ginger and soy sauce.

There are at least three ways to wrap up the ingredients. Whichever approach you use, give the ingredients a little leg room, so the steam can build up within the packet. In other words, leave room between the outside crimped edge and the bundle of ingredients at the center.

• Half-heart-shape parchment: This is the showiest package. Remember cutting out valentines in elementary school? Use the same technique using a folded piece of parchment paper. Fold a 20- by 15-inch sheet of parchment in half and cut out a half-heart shape. Unfold, fill next to the center crease and refold. Crimp the edges to close (see chef Traunfeld's recipe for crimping specifics). The packet will look like half of a heart.

• Easier fake heart shape: A faster and easier approach is to use a 12-inch square of parchment paper. Fold in half, then unfold. Place ingredients in center. Brush edges of parchment with 1 beaten egg white. Fold in half and press edges to seal. Crimp edges to close.

• Easiest foil packet: Using aluminum foil isn't very glamorous, but it is very efficient. Use 12-inch foil squares, fold in half and open. Place filling in center. Refold, then crimp edges to close. Once cooked, open packet and place the contents on plates or bowls in the kitchen rather than serving the food in the packets at the table.

• TRAUNFELD'S FISH FILLETS EN PAPILLOTE WITH VEGETABLES AND HERBS

Yield: Four servings

Parchment paper (from roll, it is generally 15 inches wide), 4 sheets (15- by 20-inches)

11⁄2 to 2 pounds skinless delicate or medium-firm fish fillet, such as halibut, salmon, snapper or sea bass

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 asparagus tips

1 small carrot, peeled, cut into match sticks

4 medium, fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

1⁄2 medium shallot, very thinly sliced

1⁄4 cup coarsely snipped fresh chives or chopped green onions

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1⁄4 cup dry white wine

Procedure

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim any dark gray flesh on skin side of fish and check for bones. Cut fillet into four equal pieces.

Fold 4 sheets of parchment paper (15- by 20-inches) in half so they are now 10 inches wide. As if you were making a grade-school valentine, cut out a half-heart shape as large as the paper. Unfold and open; place them on counter.

Season all sides of fish with salt and pepper. Place fish to the right of center crease of each parchment heart. Cover fish with remaining ingredients except butter and wine, dividing it evenly. Season again with salt and pepper. Dot each with butter and drizzle with wine. Fold left half of paper over to cover ingredients. Starting at top left corner, fold over piece of edge about 1 inch deep and 2 inches wide and crease firmly. Make second fold to right of it, overlapping the last by half. Continue to fold the edge over, each time overlapping half of the last crease and following the shape of the paper, until you get to the bottom and are left with a pointy tail. Twist this piece around several times like a hard candy wrapper and tuck it under. You should have a totally sealed packet with a straight side and a rounded side, like a butterfly wing. Seal remaining packets and place on two large baking sheets (packets can be prepared to this point four hours in advance and refrigerated).

Bake packets until puffed and edges of paper begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. If you are baking packets on two racks in the same oven, be sure to leave enough head space for packets to expand and switch their positions halfway through so they will bake evenly. If desired, serve with rice, couscous or crusty bread.

Nutritional information (per servings): Calories 340, protein 16.0 g, carbohydrates 54.0g, fat 7.0g (saturated 1.5 g), cholesterol 35 mg, sodium 480 mg, fiber 2.5 g

Source: Adapted from "The Herbfarm Cookbook" by Jerry Traunfeld (Scribner, $40)

• PORTALE'S ASIAN-STYLE STRIPED BASS EN PAPILLOTE

Yield: Four servings

8 green onions, trimmed, white part thinly sliced crosswise, green stems reserved

12 cilantro sprigs, leaves removed and chopped, stems reserved

4 (7-ounces each) striped bass fillets

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (colored portion of peel), plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

3 tablespoons walnut oil or safflower oil

1⁄4 cup soy sauce

1 egg white, beaten

Procedure

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare four 12-inch squares of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fold each square in half. In center of each square make a bed of green onions and cilantro stems. Season fillets with salt and pepper on top and bottom. Place a fillet on top of each herb bed. Scatter lemon zest over fish and top each fillet with 1 tablespoon butter.

In small bowl whisk together lemon juice, ginger, oil and soy sauce. Spoon mixture over fish. Brush edge of parchment with egg white.

Fold left half of paper over to cover ingredients. Starting at top left corner, fold over piece of edge about 1 inch deep and 2 inches wide and crease firmly. Make second fold to right of it, overlapping the last by half. Continue to fold the edge over, each time overlapping half of the last crease and following the shape of the paper, until you get to the bottom. Seal remaining packets.

Place packets in single layer on large baking sheet. Bake until packets puff slightly, 8 minutes for thinner fillets or 10 minutes for thicker.

To serve, cut open each papillote, being careful not to spill any liquids and avoiding the hot steam that may escape as you open it. Use a slotted spatula to transfer one fillet to each of four shallow bowls or rimmed dinner plates, leaving herbs behind. Pour cooking liquid over and around fish. Scatter chopped cilantro and sliced green onions over fish and serve.

Nutritional information (per servings): Calories 550 (49 percent from fat), protein 20.0 g, carbohydrates 50.0 g, fat 29.9 g (saturated 4.2 g), cholesterol 60 mg, sodium 760 mg, fiber 1.9 g

Source: Adapted from "Alfred Portale Simple Pleasures" (William Morrow, $34)

• GWEN'S SALMON PAPILLOTES WITH FENNEL AND OLIVES

Yield: Two servings

4 small red potatoes

1 large fresh fennel bulb, trimmed

1⁄4 cup kalamata olives, pitted, halved

2 teaspoons minced lemon zest (colored portion of peel)

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 (6-ounces each) salmon fillets without skin

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 very thin lemon slices

2 tablespoons dry white wine

Procedure

Place potatoes in small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook until fork tender. Drain and cut potatoes in half. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut fennel bulb in lengthwise quarters; core and discard core. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, thinly slice fennel lengthwise. In large mixing bowl, toss fennel, olives, potatoes, zest, thyme sprigs and garlic with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Fold 2 sheets of parchment paper (15- by 20-inches) in half so they are now 10 inches wide. As if you were making a grade-school valentine, cut out a half-heart shape as large as the paper. Unfold and open; place them on counter. Divide fennel mixture between two sheets, mounding mixture to right of fold. Season fillets with salt and pepper; place fillets on top of each fennel mixture. Top each fillet with a tablespoon of butter and 3 lemon slices. Drizzle each with wine.

Fold left half of paper over to cover ingredients. Starting at top left corner, fold over piece of edge about 1 inch deep and 2 inches wide and crease firmly. Make second fold to right of it, overlapping the last by half. Continue to fold the edge over, each time overlapping half of the last crease and following the shape of the paper, until you get to the bottom and are left with a pointy tail. Twist this piece around several times like a hard candy wrapper and tuck it under. You should have a totally sealed packet with a straight side and a rounded side, like a butterfly wing. Seal remaining packets.

Place packets in single layer on large baking sheet. Place in preheated oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place on individual dinner plates and serve immediately, opening packets at the table. To open the papillotes, cut an X into the top of each package, pulling the paper back to expose the contents.

Nutritional information (per servings): Calories 570 (49 percent from fat), protein 21.4 g, carbohydrates 51.1 g, fat 29.9 g (saturated 5.1 g), cholesterol 60 mg, sodium 842 mg, fiber 2.1 g

Source: "Good Food For Good Times" by Jamie Gwen with Lana Sills (Powerline, $24.95)