How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Wash the fillets quickly in cold water and dry them on paper towels. Salt them lightly and arrange them folded in half end to end in a shallow, lightly buttered baking dish large enough to hold them in 1 layer.
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2. Pour in the chicken stock and white wine, and add a little water if the liquid doesn't come halfway up the sides of the fish. Heat the baking dish on top of the stove until the liquid begins to simmer.
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3. Then cover the dish loosely with a sheet of wax paper, a little larger than the dish itself, and poach the fish in the middle of the oven for about 6 minutes, or until the fillets are opaque and almost, but not quite, cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan with a large metal spatula and spread them open on a platter.
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4. Strain the poaching liquid through a fine sieve into a small saucepan and, over high heat, boil it rapidly uncovered until it is reduced to 1 cup. Set aside. In another saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat.
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5. When the foam subsides, add the chopped shallots or scallions and, stirring constantly, cook them for 2 to 3 minutes until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the flour and cook for a moment or two until it froths, then pour in the cup of reserved poaching liquid.
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6. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until the sauce issmooth and thick.Add the 2 tablespoons of cream, the lemon juice, salt and cayenne.Taste for seasoning.
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7. Cut 6 sheets of parchment cooking paper or aluminum foil into 12-by-14-inchheart shapes. Brush each heart with a teaspoon of soft butter. Fold each heart in half lengthwise, then open it and lay a fillet alongside the center crease of each heart.
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8. Put an equal amount of the shrimp and crab meat on the lower half of each fillet and moisten it with a tablespoon of the sauce. Then fold the other half of the fish over it, enclosing the stuffing.
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9. Pour the remaining sauce over each fillet, dividing it equally. Seal thehearts securely by crimping and rolling the edges of the halves firmly together.
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10. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the papillotes side by side on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake them in the middle of the oven for about 8 minutes. The parchment paper will puff and brown. Serve the papillotes on individual heated plates and cut them open at the table.
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