Subject: Fish en Papillote
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Thu Feb 17 2000 - 16:14:47 EST
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: FOOD FUNNY :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reader Heather Worley sends us this true food funny:
My grandmother is 80 years old and she grew up in Puerto Rico in a
wealthy family. When I was growing up, my grandfather always cooked.
I asked her why, and she said she never learned how because it wasn't
considered necessary for her to learn when she was young because they
had servants to do that. This is true, but when I got older, I found
out a better version of why she doesn't cook.
My Uncle Eddie had brought back a can of leftover laundry soap from
Boy Scout camp (I've also heard that it was Uncle Harry who brought it
back from college - it depends on who's telling it) and put it in the
kitchen cupboard because he didn't know what else to do with it. One
day my Gramma decided to make fried fish, and she mistook the soap for
flour and used it to bread the fish. When she dropped the fish in the
hot oil, bubbles went everywhere. She and my aunt didn't know what to
do, so they got on the CB radio to tell my grandfather what had
happened, so the entire town (and you know how gossip is in small
towns) knew about it. Needless to say, she was a little embarrassed.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TODAY'S RECIPE ::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Our "Quick and Easy" theme continues with this fantastic technique for
cooking fish. "En papillote" is a French term which describes a dish
cooked sealed in greased paper. Our version uses aluminum foil, but
the principle is the same. The theory behind the technique is that,
by sealing in all the liquids, dishes which have a tendency to dry out
will remain moist. Consequently, the technique is also often used with
poultry.
Fish en Papillote
4 to 6 fillets or steaks of a fish of your choice
4 to 6 Tbs (60 to 90 ml) white wine or water
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 to 6 Tbs (60 to 90 ml) capers
Cut a piece of aluminum foil for each piece of fish, making sure that
the pieces are big enough to completely surround the fish with plenty
of room to spare. Fold the foil in half and tightly seal two sides by
folding over two or three times, forming an envelope. Place a piece
of fish inside each envelope. Add a tablespoon of white wine or water
to each envelope. Place a few slices of lemon on each piece of fish,
followed by some capers. Fold the open edge of the envelope to close
tightly. Place the foil envelopes on a baking sheet and bake in a
preheated 325F (165C) oven for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the
thickness of the fish. The fish may be removed from the foil before
serving, or the entire foil pouch may be served, along with a caution
to the diners that the contents are extremely hot and that escaping
steam may cause burns. Serves 4 to 6.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Wed Mar 01 2000 - 00:00:05 EST