The American Favorites section is where we have placed recipes for dishes that have become American favorites; these recipes are for foods that are enjoyed by many people throughout this great country of ours. In this particular section, I won't assign a specific part of the country as being the origin of the recipe.
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6 pompano fillets, about 7 inches 3 T flour
long and weighing in all about 2 T heavy cream
2½ to 3 pounds ½ tsp lemon juice
Salt ½ tsp salt
¾ c thoroughly degreased chicken 1/8 tsp cayenne
stock, fresh or canned 6 tsp soft butter
¼ c dry white wine 1 c coarsely diced cooked shrimp
2 T butter 1 c coarsely diced crab meat, fresh
2 T finely chopped shallots or or canned
scallions
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Preheat the oven to 250°. Wash the fillets quickly in cold water and dry
them on paper towels. Salt them lightly and arrange them folded in half end
to end in a shallow, lightly buttered baking dish large enough to hold them
in one layer. Pour in the chicken stock and white wine, and add a little
water if the liquid doesn't come halfway up the sides of the fish. Heat the
baking dish on top of the stove until the liquid begins to simmer.Then cover the dish loosely with a sheet of wax paper, a little larger than the dish itself, and poach the fish in the middle of the oven for about 6 minutes, or until the fillets are opaque and almost, but not quite, cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan with a large metal spatula and spread them open on a platter.
Strain the poaching liquid through a fine sieve into a small saucepan and, over high heat, boil it rapidly uncovered until it is reduced to 1 cup. Set aside. In another saucepan, melt the 2 T of butter over moderate heat.
When the foam subsides, add the chopped shallots or scallions and, stirring constantly, cook them for 2 to 3 minutes until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the flour and cook for a moment or two until it froths, then pour in the cup of reserved poaching liquid. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add the 2 T of cream, the lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Taste for seasoning.
Cut 6 sheets of parchment cooking paper or aluminum foil into 12-by-14-inch heart shapes. Brush each heart with a teaspoon of soft butter. Fold each heart in half lengthwise, then open it and lay a fillet alongside the center crease of each heart.
Put an equal amount of the shrimp and crab meat on the lower half of each fillet and moisten it with a tablespoon of the sauce. Then fold the other half of the fish over it, enclosing the stuffing. Pour the remaining sauce over each fillet, dividing it equally. Seal the hearts securely by crimping and rolling the edges of the halves firmly together.
Preheat the oven to 450°. Place the papillotes side by side on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake them in the middle of the oven for about 8 minutes. The parchment paper will puff and brown. Serve the papillotes on individual heated plates and cut them open at the table. Serves 6.
