Parchment paper a must in the pantry

My pantry always has parchment paper, at least 10 rolls and sometimes as many as 20 at any given time. This assures me that I will never run out. Whenever I see it on sale, I buy more.

So much so that my husband laughs at me whenever I put parchment paper in the shopping cart.

We grew up with waxed paper and wrapped everything in it, like our sandwiches. Parchment paper is quite different from waxed paper for many reasons.

Parchment paper has been used extensively in the baking industry and has been called bakery release paper or simply bakery paper. The nonstick silicone surface and its ability to withstand over 420 degrees make it easy to work with and eliminates the need to grease pans.

The finish of waxed paper is coated with either soybean or paraffin wax, therefore the name “waxed paper,” and cannot be used for cooking as the wax will melt.

Not only is parchment great when baking cookies, but lots of other applications. I just finished baking some croutons from leftover French bread and baked a couple of loaves of banana bread a few days ago and lined my pans with parchment paper. We have full sheets of parchment paper at our certified kitchen and line our full sheet pans when baking chicken for catering.

En papillotte method of cooking in parchment has been a popular method with many chefs. “En papillote” is French for “in parchment.” This same method is called in Italy “al cartoccio.”

When you think about the method, Hawaiians having been steaming en papillotte in ti-leaves and banana leaves way before parchment paper was invented. This way of cooking keeps foods moist with very little or no oil.

Here are a couple of recipes for some juicy entrees:

Fresh Wild Salmon En Papillote

Serves 4

On several layers of paper towels, grate:

1/2 cup cucumber, seeded cover with additional paper towels to remove all liquid. Let stand for 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally.

Combine cucumber with:

3/4 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoon dried dill

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Cover and refrigerate for one hour to allow the flavors to marry.

Cut four 15-inch-by-24-inch pieces of parchment paper. Fold in half crosswise, draw a large heart half on each folded piece, cut the heart out, and open.

Place:

1/2 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb (total 2 cups from one medium bulb)

2 tablespoons thinly sliced leek (total 1/2 cup from one small leek)

1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (total 2 teaspoons)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste:

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skinned and bones removed with plier or tweezer

Place on top of fennel bulb slices and leek.

Drizzle each with:

1 tablespoon vermouth

Starting at the top of the heart, fold edges of the parchment, sealing edges with narrow folds. Twist the end tip to secure tightly. Place packets on a baking sheet, bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Press the thickest part of the salmon to be sure it is cooked through. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Place of dinner plates, cut open the parchment paper. Garnish with chopped fresh dill. Serve while hot with yogurt sauce.

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Here is the Italian cartoccio method of serving pasta. It is interesting to watch as your dinner guests are served their pasta in packets at the table and as they open their packets, the aromas smack them in their faces!

Shrimp

Cartoccio

Serves 4

Blanch in lightly salted water over low heat:

2 1/2 pounds shrimp with shell on

Cool and shell the shrimp.

Finely mince:

1/3 cup round onion

1 clove garlic

In a sauté pan, heat:

1 teaspoon olive oil

Add minced onion and garlic and cook garlic is just lightly browned.

Add:

1 cup ripe plum tomatoes, crushed

Simmer for five minutes, add:

1 small bunch Italian parsley, chopped

Cleaned shrimp

Season with salt, pepper ,and crushed red pepper to taste.

Boil in boiling salted water till half cooked:

1 pound spaghetti

Drain in colander, then transfer to pan with sauce, toss. Divide into four equal portions. Cut four pieces of parchment paper or foil. Transfer pasta to paper, fold up the sides to seal edges together to make sealed pouches. Bake in 350 degree oven for 7 minutes. Slide into a serving dish and open at the table.

Mountain Apple update:

Randy Bruckner shared a recipe for mountain apple, pomerac chow. It is a Caribbean side dish to be enjoyed with curry or soup. Cut the mountain apples into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces after removing the seed and core. Put pieces in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Mix well, cover, and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Please feel free to e-mail me at wilson.audrey@hawaiiantel.net if you have a question. Bon appetit until next week.