Chef's Corner: How to Cook En Papillote

Monday, September 16, 2013

En papillote, French for "in parchment," may sound exotic, but it is a simple method of cooking food in a folded pouch. By cooking food in a sealed pouch, the moisture in the pouch acts to steam the food to perfection. This week some of our home chefs will be cooking vegetables en papillote. Follow these simple steps and you'll be an expert in no time. 

Step 1 - Fold a sheet of parchment in half and crease. Unfold and arrange vegetables on one side of the crease.

Note: Some folks choose to cut their parchment paper into a heart shape (totally cute!) to make folding a little easier, like in these pictures from Bon Appetit. We think it's just as easy with a square sheet, but go with your culinary instincts!

Step 2 - Fold the empty half of the parchment over the vegetables to enclose ingredients. Starting at the corner near the crease, make small overlapping folds around the food. As you crease, fold to seal the edges together. 

Step 3 - Twist the last fold at the bottom several times to make a tight seal and fold it under the packet. 

Voila! You are officially an en papillote chef!