Mexican Style Papillotes Recipes

EN PAPILLOTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the seasonings (vinegar, juice, wine, zest, spices, etc.) together in a small bowl; set aside.
• Fold 4 (20-inch) parchment paper squares in 1/2 lengthwise and cut out a large heart shape. Unfold and arrange on 2 baking sheets. Cook's Note: Aluminum foil can be substituted for parchment paper.
• Evenly divide the vegetables among the 4 heart-shaped parchment packets. Place fish fillet on top of vegetables and season. Top with a small pat of butter.
• Fold the top half of the parchment over the fish, overlapping small folds along the edges and sealing. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the parchment paper puffs up.
• Transfer the parchment packets to plates. Carefully cut the packets open, avoiding the hot steam and serve.
• En Papillote Variations:
• Wild Mushrooms en Papillote: Replace the fish fillet with 1 pound mushrooms (equal parts chanterelles, morels, and shiitakes). Add fresh chives, fresh parsley, fresh tarragon, white wine, and increase the butter to 1 tablespoon.
• Spring Vegetables en Papillote: Replace the fish fillet with 4 cups vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, etc. Season the vegetables with thinly sliced garlic, fresh herbs, fresh lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper.
• Mediterranean Halibut en Papillote: Top the halibut with pitted kalamata olives, sliced red onion, fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice, and fresh oregano. Add white wine for steaming.

MEXICAN PAELLA

Steps:

• Place chicken broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and heat over low heat.
• Over a low gas flame or under the broiler, roast poblano pepper, turning frequently, until charred, about 5 minutes over flame or 10 minutes under broiler. Remove from heat and cover with a clean kitchen towel until cool enough to handle. Rub off charred skin using a paper towel; remove stem and seeds. Rinse pepper and pat dry; cut into 1/2-inch strips; set aside.
• Place tomatoes and their juices in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Season skin side of chicken thighs with salt and place skin-side down in pan; season with salt. Cook until skin is deep golden, about 10 minutes. Turn and cook until chicken is browned and juices run clear, about 10 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and add onion and chorizo. Cook, stirring, until chorizo is cooked through and onion begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add reserved poblano pepper and tomato puree. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and oil begins to separate from mixture, about 5 minutes.
• Add rice to pan and cook, stirring, until rice turns milky white in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add heated chicken broth and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is almost cooked through, about 12 minutes.
• Return chicken to pan and nestle into the center of the rice. Arrange shrimp in a ring around the chicken and the mussels in the rice at the edge of the pan. Cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil; transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove paella from oven and stir in peas, parsley, and tequila, if desired. Using a large serving spoon, gently fluff mussels and shrimp into rice mixture. Re-cover and let stand for 10 minutes until rice and shellfish are cooked through. Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE PRALINES, MEXICAN STYLE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Stir white sugar, light brown sugar, evaporated milk, corn syrup, and cocoa powder in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring constantly, until the syrup reaches 220 degrees F (104 degrees C) when measured with a candy thermometer. A small amount of syrup dropped into cold water should form a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• Remove pan from heat and stir in marshmallows, vanilla extract, butter, and pecans, beating the candy by hand until creamy and the candy begins to to set up slightly at the edges of the pan, about 10 minutes.
• Drop the warm candy by teaspoons onto the parchment paper; allow room for pralines to spread slightly. Cool the candy thoroughly before serving.