Rouget en Papillote

Rouget en Papillote (red mullet in a puffed paper parcel) teaches one uncompromising thing: the seal is part of the cooking. The grilled fish and Duxelles may be impeccable, but if the oiled paper leaks, the packet won't balloon. Pleat tightly, because the held heat lifts the paper and brings the aroma to the table inside it.

The old formula assumed a salamander for fierce overhead grilling, a saucier keeping thick Duxelles ready beside stock never off the fire, and paper robust enough for a practiced hand. At home, the broiler, a small batch of finished Duxelles sauce, and heavy parchment do the same work for four fish. The brigade's holding and elaborate trimming are scaffolding and can go. Grilling first, sandwiching the rouget between two layers of Duxelles, oiling the paper, and giving the sealed packet five hot minutes are the dish and must stay. The packet pattern comes from Côte de Veau Papillote (No. 1259), but its ham and veal do not follow the fish. One cook, one stove, one evening.

The papillote should arrive bronzed at its folds and round as a small cushion, then open to coral-skinned fish and buttery mushrooms. Shape and pleat one empty paper heart before you grill anything. If the seal tears later, ça se rattrape: move the fish into fresh parchment and pleat again. The one step that matters most is the final seam, pressed firmly from the rounded top to the pointed end.