Pompano en Papillote: Antoine's New Orleans Balloonist's Dish

In the early 1900s, a chef at Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans created a dish to honor a visiting balloonist. He wrapped pompano, a prized Gulf fish, in parchment paper with a sauce of white wine, shrimp, and crabmeat, and baked it until the parcel puffed up like a balloon. The dish was called Pompano en Papillote, and it has been on the menu at Antoine's for more than a century, one of the oldest continuously served dishes in an American restaurant.

The papillote, the parchment parcel, is not just a theatrical flourish. It traps the steam from the fish and the sauce, cooking the pompano gently and infusing it with the flavors of the seafood and wine inside. When the parcel is cut open at the table, the rush of aromatic steam is part of the experience. The fish should be pompano if you can find it, a rich, firm-fleshed fish caught in the Gulf of Mexico, but red snapper, sea bass, or arctic char are acceptable substitutes.

About the Ingredients: Pompano is a medium-sized flat fish with firm, white flesh and a rich flavor that stands up to the sauce. If unavailable, any firm white fish fillet will work. The sauce is a shrimp and crab velouté, made with a roux, shrimp stock, white wine, and cream, folded with lump crabmeat and small shrimp. The parchment paper must be cut large enough to enclose the fish and sauce with room for the steam to circulate.

Ingredients (serves 4): - 4 pompano fillets (or red snapper or sea bass), about 6 oz each - Salt and white pepper

The Seafood Sauce: - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour - ½ cup shrimp stock, warmed - ¼ cup dry white wine - 2 tablespoons heavy cream - ¼ cup lump crabmeat, picked over for shells - ¼ cup small shrimp, cooked and peeled - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced - 1 teaspoon lemon juice - Salt and white pepper to taste

For the Papillotes: - 4 large sheets of parchment paper (about 15×15 inches each) - Olive oil or melted butter for brushing

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Fold each sheet of parchment paper in half and cut a half-heart shape, so that when opened it forms a full heart. Open the hearts and brush the inner surface lightly with olive oil or melted butter.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the warm shrimp stock and white wine. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and fold in the crabmeat, shrimp, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and white pepper.

Season the fish fillets with salt and white pepper. Place one fillet on one half of each parchment heart, near the center. Spoon a quarter of the seafood sauce over each fillet. Fold the parchment over the fish and sauce, and starting at the top of the heart, fold and crimp the edges tightly, working your way around to the bottom, to seal the parcel completely.

Place the parcels on a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the parchment is puffed and golden. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately, placing each parcel on a plate and cutting it open at the table with scissors.

The Mimosa Pairing Logic: The delicate white fish and seafood sauce call for a mimosa with restraint and elegance. The Classic Champagne Mimosa is the ideal partner, its clean citrus and bubbles cutting through the richness of the cream sauce without overwhelming the fish. For a more aromatic pairing, the Lavender Elderflower Mimosa adds a floral note that complements the white wine in the sauce.

Reference Links: - Pompano en Papillote – TasteAtlas - Pompano en Papillote Recipe – Suwannee Rose

Make-Ahead: The seafood sauce can be made up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. The parcels can be assembled up to 1 hour ahead and kept refrigerated on the baking sheet. Bring them to room temperature for 15 minutes before baking. Bake at the last minute, as the theatrical puff of the parchment is part of the presentation.

Pro Tips: The seal on the parchment is everything. If steam escapes, the fish will dry out and the parcel will not puff. Fold the edges in small, tight crimps, pressing firmly after each fold. Do not overfill the parcels. The sauce should spoon over the fish, not pool in the bottom, or the parcel may leak. When cutting the parcels open at the table, use scissors and cut across the top, being careful to avoid the steam that will rush out.