Puff-Pastry Parcel with a Parsley Liquor and Steamed Vegetables
This is one of the quickest and easiest main courses I know and is great for dinner parties as well. It is versatile because the parcel filling, sauce and veg can all be varied to suit the seasons and the occasion.
Ingredients;
1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry
half a pound of mixed fresh fish chunks (3 different kinds) such as cod, haddock, tuna, salmon, trout, monk fish etc.
6 raw Tiger Prawns or similar
1 courgette (or any steamable vegetables to your liking such as asparagus, carrots, broccoli,mangetout, cauliflower)
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of sea salt (for the pastry glaze)
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt
For the Liquor; 2oz plain flour, 2oz butter, 600ml fish stock, 8 table spoons of finely-chopped curly parsley
The Method;
De-frost the frozen puff-pastry according to the instructions and cut into a 9″ square. Tip; make sure the work surface is dusted with flour to prevent sticking and keep your hands cold by dipping them in cold water and drying them before handling the pastry. Try to keep the pastry cool.
Season the fish and prawns with sea salt and pepper to your taste and arrange them in a pile in the middle of the sheet. Brush some water around the edges of the pastry then lift the corners one at a time and pull them over the filling to the centre, squeezing adjacent edges together to form a roof to the parcel. Make a small steam hole where the corners meet then transfer the parcel to a well-buttered baking sheet. Brush the parcel with the egg wash to glaze the pastry.
Put the parcel into the fridge for at least 4 hours or if you don’t have the luxury of time then pop it in the freezer for half an hour or so. This will help the pastry rise and crisp up.
When ready, place in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 7 (220c or 425f) for about 25 mins or until risen and golden brown.
Liquor; Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour gradually on a low heat. Cook gently for two or three minutes then add the fish stock a little at a time, stirring constantly until smooth and lump free. Simmer gently stirring often for 5 mins. Add the chopped parsley and simmer for a further 5 to 10 minutes until the raw floury taste has gone. Check the seasoning and adjust to suit.
The Veg; Steam the courgette whole for about 7 mins or to your preference (courgettes can be eaten raw which is better than being over-cooked).
Plating up; For one person, this is a feast (which is why I haven’t included potatoes) but for a Happy and Healthy portion cut the parcel in half diagonally and place on one side of the plate. Pour over the liquor leaving half the pastry exposed and cover the base of the plate (this dish requires a lot of liquor just like the traditional pie & mash from the East End). Halve the courgette then slice it lengthways and place gently on top of the liquor and finally garnish with sprigs of parsley.
You may need to practice with the puff-pastry and the fish seasoning but when you get it right it is a beautiful dish that can be prepared well before your guests arrive and leave you with very little washing up.
Enjoy! (and let me know what you think).
Crispy Chris.