Coming from two very different cultures, there are days when one struggles to put together a meal which satisfies both myself and the Boss. Some examples of our contrasting tastebuds: yogurt versus tofu, dijon mustard versus pickled mustards (咸菜).
I was in a dilemma today: the Boss wanted to have fish, as simple as it can be. Salmon doesn't do it for him. But I like salmon. In fact, I love salmon, especially when it is pan-fried in teriyaki sauce, topped with golden brown garlic bits. That explained the scrunched up face this morning, darling.
Anyway, it turned out to be a good problem after all. Almost parallel to that of couples who have grown much older, wishing for nothing more than just "companionship" so to speak. What do they do? They sleep together, but in separate beds. Only in our context, "beds" are two large portions of parchment paper folded in halves.
East Meets West En Papillote
Serves 2 as a meal
I was in a dilemma today: the Boss wanted to have fish, as simple as it can be. Salmon doesn't do it for him. But I like salmon. In fact, I love salmon, especially when it is pan-fried in teriyaki sauce, topped with golden brown garlic bits. That explained the scrunched up face this morning, darling.
Anyway, it turned out to be a good problem after all. Almost parallel to that of couples who have grown much older, wishing for nothing more than just "companionship" so to speak. What do they do? They sleep together, but in separate beds. Only in our context, "beds" are two large portions of parchment paper folded in halves.
East Meets West En Papillote
Serves 2 as a meal
Ingredients
0.8lb haddock fillet, rinsed and pat dry
0.8lb salmon fillet, rinsed and pat dry
Knob of ginger (thumb-size), peeled and julienned
2 large Shitake mushrooms, sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 stalks scallions, cut to 2-inch lengths, julienned
Bunch of cilantro, cut to 1-inch lengths
6 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon sesame oil
0.8lb haddock fillet, rinsed and pat dry
0.8lb salmon fillet, rinsed and pat dry
Knob of ginger (thumb-size), peeled and julienned
2 large Shitake mushrooms, sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 stalks scallions, cut to 2-inch lengths, julienned
Bunch of cilantro, cut to 1-inch lengths
6 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon sesame oil
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Fold two large pieces of parchment paper in half and place each of them on a plate.
3. For each plate, lay the fillet skin-side down on one half of the paper. Use the folded line as your guide.
4. Scatter the ginger all over, top with mushrooms, tomatoes, scallions and cilantro.
5. Mix soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Drizzle the mixture over both plates.
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Fold two large pieces of parchment paper in half and place each of them on a plate.
3. For each plate, lay the fillet skin-side down on one half of the paper. Use the folded line as your guide.
4. Scatter the ginger all over, top with mushrooms, tomatoes, scallions and cilantro.
5. Mix soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Drizzle the mixture over both plates.
6. Fold the other half of paper over the fillet to form a parcel. Then fold all three sides of the parcel, twice over at least. Fold the corners as well.
7. Transfer both parcels onto a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes.
8. To serve, place parcels on dinner plates, unfold the sides and tuck them under.
7. Transfer both parcels onto a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes.
8. To serve, place parcels on dinner plates, unfold the sides and tuck them under.
If I may say so, this is as simple and healthy as you can get. And like me, if you don't have a multi-layer steamer to prepare both plates concurrently, the oven may just do the trick for you. Besides, these parcels do not produce too much moisture as steaming would have. But that's just me.
Why don't you give it a try -- easiest to use fillets of your choice, and to make it even more "Chinese", go the Teochew way by adding shredded pickled mustard and a dash of shaoxing wine.
Why don't you give it a try -- easiest to use fillets of your choice, and to make it even more "Chinese", go the Teochew way by adding shredded pickled mustard and a dash of shaoxing wine.
