So let me preface this by mentioning that I have a difficult time letting go of winter food. The bean soups, the braises, the batches of Sunday night muffins. These foods are like my big comfy sweaters that just don't work now that it's nice out.

It turned out to be a boon that my dinner guest last evening was both a vegetarian and, well, a meticulous individual.

Dinner was simple. Sad but true, I spent more time on the dessert garnish than on the entree. I tend to do that. But dinner was just my new favorite thing, veggies en papillote.

She hovered at the edge of my kitchen counter just after she arrived, and, as a testament to her kind-hearted nature, offered to help.

What happened next could not have been more serendipitous. I swear it was straight out of a Nancy Drew novel - where the feisty heroine saves the day with exactly the right arcane skill uncorked at precisely the right time. Think, "Wow, we never would have got out of this castle alive were you not a... ventriloquist!"

Turns out, my guest LOVES tidiness and symmetry. And folding. Four staples on each side. Not three, not five. Creases as a stiff as brand manager’s oxford and, not only protractor-straight, but consistent on each side. The pouches were not a bit like the haphazard little valentine-shaped deals I end up with (Full disclosure: photographs below were taken during one of the previous dry runs) . If I were remotely skilled with MS Paint I might have to create a rendition, which I still reserve the right to do, such remains my awe.

Cooking en papillote is both fun to say, simple to do, potentially nutritious, and, as a bonus, very dramatic. Food is encased within a pouch of parchment paper. The pouches are then creased, typically stapled, and cooked at a relatively high temperature for a short time. Water within the pouch will turn to steam, which will then pressure-cook the pouch's contents and gives them that characteristic "puff."

Meats like chicken and seafood supposedly do quite well. Candidly, though, it wouldn't be my favorite way to cook to doneness. Part of the fun is opening up the pouch and watching the large cloud of aromatic steam just burst out. Having to test meat for doneness and then potentially re-insert it into the oven just defeats the purpose. Perhaps, someday, I will try to time it.

I like to cook the veggies on a bed of couscous. Bulgur also works well. And I suppose any veggies will work, but I tend to keep it simple....This is one of those recipes where just about ANYTHING works. You can play around with the starch (I've also had some success with bulgur), the acid (I REALLY like vermouth here), and of course, the vegetables. Just make sure to leave about a one-inch gap on each side so that you can close and seal the pouch.

Veggies En Papillote

1/2 cup couscous, soaked in 1 cup of hot water and 1 t of salt for about 15 minutes
1 carrot, peeled and cut diagonally on the bias to look really cool
1 small onion, julienned
1 green zucchini, sliced
Several (5-8) button mushrooms, quartered
1 C broccoli florettes
1/2 cup red pepper
1/2 cup green pepper
1t dry vermouth (or sweet vermouth white wine vinegar or white wine or orange juice or, I suppose if you want to get technical, a flinstones chewable vitamin dissolved in a t of water)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Equipment note: You will need parchment paper (not wax paper) for this. And a stapler

Preheat the Oven to 425

Soak your Couscous as you prepare the veggies.

Instructions if you are a normal person: Cut two pieces of parchment paper about 18 inches long.

Instructions if you are Jeff: Cut two pieces of parchment paper about however long. They don't have to be the same size.

Then, fold in half and cut the pieces of parchment paper into half-assed valentine shapes because it is inexplicably traditional and cool-looking.

Cut the veggies and place them into a large bowl. Drizzle with a couple teaspoons of olive oil and slosh. Repeat with the vermouth.

Fold your pouches in half, and place a bed of couscous on the bottom, leaving a couple inches of space all the way around.

Top with the veggies. Add some salt and pepper, if you want.

Now, taking a cue from my friend. Neatly crease and fold along each edge and staple. Leave about an inch or two between staples.

Place pouches on a cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Speaking of dessert, I can't wait to serve THIS at the bacon party.

Posted by Jeff at 10:20 PM:: Permalink :: (Comments Closed)

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