Cook Club: En papillote is an easy method to create flavorful, low fat dishes

The saying 'Good things come in small packages' might as well be the theme for November's Gazette KCRG-TV9 Cook Club. Our technique this month is cooking en papillote, which in French means cooking in paper or a package. Cooking en papillote, a method that involves wrapping food in individual parchment paper or foil packages before cooking, may sound fancy and fussy, but in reality it is one of the easiest and least messy cooking methods out there. Our main dish Salmon En Papillote with Carrots, Radishes and Olives celebrates the ease of this classic cooking method.

Wrapping foods in paper and baking in the oven allows the protein and vegetables to steam in its in aromatics and liquids making for a flavorful and lower fat dish. This latter fact often gives this technique a bad rap as many associate steamed food with blandness. When done right, though, this steaming method can create dishes that are moist, healthy and not at all boring.

The key to creating this flavor is layering your dish to allow the aromatics and liquids to fully infuse the protein and vegetables. For our salmon dish, we started at the bottom with a slice of lemon that is then topped with a clove of garlic. As a general rule, you want to place the items that cook the fastest at the bottom, or as in this case, are being used purely for flavor purposes. Since we are working with salmon, which cooks fairly quickly, we make it the next layer. The top and last layer contains the vegetables — shredded carrots, radishes and Kalamata olives, tossed in a lemon, dill and garlic oil. Since we know the vegetables need more time to cook than the salmon, we shredded them eliminating the worry that the fish would be done well before them. This colorful shredded mix drapes beautifully on the salmon and as it cooks, the herbed garlic oil permeates the salmon ensuring a fish that is soft as butter and lightly lemon and dill-scented.

The best part of cooking en papillote isn't the fact you can throw away the 'dish' you cooked your meal in, it's the big reveal for friends and family at the table. Watching each person unwrap these crinkly packages, warm steam and aroma hit their faces as they see the beautifully layered presentation is definitely a gift worth savoring and repeating many meals over.

Recipe: Salmon En Papillote with Carrots, Radishes and Olives

— 4 to 5 ounces salmon fillets

— 4 to 5 ounces salmon fillets

—Coarse salt and pepper

— 4 tablespoons olive oil

— 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

— 4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

— Zest of 1 lemon

— 1 tbsp. fresh dill, minced

— 1 1/4 cup shredded carrots

— 1 1/4 cup shredded radishes

— 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced

— 4 garlic cloves peeled

— 8 slices lemon, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blot salmon fillets with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In medium bowl, microwave olive oil, butter, garlic cloves, lemon zest and dill for 45 seconds. Stir in shredded carrots, radishes, Kalamata olives into the flavored oil.

Spray centers of four 20-inch sheets of parchment paper with cooking spray.

Place a lemon slice and a garlic clove in the center of each paper and top with salmon. Place rounded 1/2 cup of vegetable mixture on top of salmon. Drizzle any remaining garlic oil over top.

Bring two sides of the parchment paper together and make one big fold and then a smaller fold to make a seal. Follow the same process for the two remaining ends of parchment paper, making sure there are no openings in the paper

Put packets on a large cookie sheet and place in oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Serve each packet with an extra lemon slice to squeeze on top before eating.

MacGyver Magic

• Sub shredded sweet potatoes for carrots for a sweeter version of this dish.

• Have oranges but no lemons? Make the swap for a more tropical vibe especially if you substitute cilantro for the dill. Make the tropical vibe even stronger by substituting the olive oil with coconut oil.

Make ahead

Chop and slice all of your herbs and vegetables up to eight hours before cooking making for an ultrafast meal.