People who ask what chefs cook at home often are disappointed. They don’t want to hear, “Oh I fried up a steak, zapped a potato and made a salad.” They expect a hand waved in the air and something like: “Oh, nothing much. Pine Nut-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Thai Basil Foam, Truffle-Scented Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom Ragout, Twenty-Vegetable Brunoise, a Triple-Chocolate Soufflé … you know, the usual.”
Those things are a breeze to prepare when you have a staff of 10 to do the grunt work and scrub the pots. When chefs cook at home, we keep things simple and make them fast. We keep our eyes on the same prize as other people: the sofa.
When cooking for one or two, for example, we know that good things come from foil packets. They are especially useful for hurried city singletons like me; my small apartment has no grill and a tiny kitchen that features a ventless, electric range-oven combo with a noisy fan that turns cooking vapors into facials. Such limitations require either ingenuity or a large collection of home-delivery menus. (As a chef, I possess both of those things.)
Foil packets are interpretations of paper papillotes and commercial, heat-resistant nylon baking bags. The method involved, basically a form of oven-braising, has several advantages: It creates an intensely savory product with little prep time and no messy cleanup. Close wrapping with tight seals allows flavor to cycle back into the contents of the packets instead of evaporating.
I started experimenting with this technique when I had a hankering for barbecued ribs. I needed to figure out how to make them in my pitiful kitchen and still approximate the carbon-crusty smokiness that a grill does. In my first attempt, I added water because I was not sure there would be enough liquid to braise the ribs. I discovered there was sufficient water in the meat and ketchup to do the job, and that it was better to add water to the sauce at the end of the process because the flavor was more intense.
Broiling the meat after the packets were opened was crucial; the sugar in the ketchup caramelized and combined with the rub to make a charred crust on top of the ribs. Chicken thighs and wings barbecued just as nicely. A chipotle hot pepper sauce imbued the pork and chicken with a pleasant smoky quality. I imagine using a few drops of bottled hickory-smoke flavoring would have that effect, but I do not care for the chemical aftertaste of those products.
It took only a few minutes to assemble the packet. The only dishes to clean were a plate, a mixing bowl and a Pyrex measuring cup. I ate all the ribs, but the serving was ample for two.
Giddy with success, I attempted other dishes. Moroccan vegetable tagines and salmon packets turned out nicely, but Rack of Lamb with Basil Foam and Chocolate Soufflé failed. Which just goes to show that not every craving can be satisfied by reaching for the foil.
The main-dish recipe on Page 9F can be made as two separate packets, using one 12-inch-long sheet of aluminum foil for the bottom and one 11-inch sheet for the top. I used regular aluminum foil, but heavy-duty is more reliable.
It is important that the packets remain completely sealed; take extra care to keep any ingredients from poking through the packets.
The packets can be assembled for baking and refrigerated up to one day in advance.
David Hagedorn is a chef and co-owner of David Greggory Restaurant in Washington.
Jiffy Papillotte of Salmon, Vegetables and Herbs
What looks like too many vegetables will cook down to the right amount to serve with the tender salmon fillets. Be sure to use fresh herbs. 2 servings.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
For the herb drizzle:
For the packet:
Directions
Set an oven rack on the middle level and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
For the herb drizzle: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
For the packet: In a small bowl, toss the parboiled potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the herb drizzle. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the pieces of bell pepper, carrot, zucchini, squash and leek with 2 tablespoons of the herb drizzle. Set aside.
Place a 22-inch-long piece of aluminum foil on the counter. Line overlapping drizzled potato slices down the center, leaving a 4-inch border on each end and 2-inch borders on the sides. Top with remaining vegetables. Lay salmon slices over the julienned vegetables to cover them (from long side to long side of foil). The salmon slices should not quite touch each other. Spoon the remaining drizzle over the salmon slices. Place one lemon slice on top of each salmon slice.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and dot each salmon slice with one bit of butter. Place a 24-inch piece of foil on the top and mold it over the packet ingredients. Starting with one of the long sides, fold the bottom foil edge a half-inch over the top foil edge and seal firmly with index finger. Make another 1/2-inch fold and seal firmly.
Repeat until you reach the enclosed mound. Seal the other long side.
Seal the ends in the same fashion. Place on a rimmed baking sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. (The packet will puff up during baking.)
Transfer to a work surface and, being careful to avoid the escaping steam, use scissors to open a rectangle in the top of the packet.
Carefully transfer the packet onto a plate, and, using a spatula, ease its contents onto the plate while pulling the foil away. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
