It's crested above eighty degrees here in Buffalo, and as someone who never wills the winter to leave nor the days to become hot, I feel that I have the right to complain, if only for a moment. The humidity is at 60%, and when you couple that with 84 degrees, and then couple THAT with a third-floor apartment dwelling, you end up having a real issue about what to make for dinner.Yes, it all comes down to that: Dinner.
So tonight I opted to cook "en papillote" for three reasons:
1.) It's quick - when it's this hot out, I don't have a whole lot of energy.
2.) It's light - the en papillote method cooks your food entirely through steam - no heavy oils or butters.
3.) It's convenient - prep your raw ingredients and stick it in the toaster oven - no need to stand over a hot stove!
So here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner:
~ Pork tenderloin (cut into a little less than a one-inch medallions)
~ Mushrooms
~ White wine
~ Garlic (fresh or jarred - I went jarred because it amounted in less to wash later on over a hot sink)
~ Fresh herbs of choice (I used rosemary and thyme, because they're my perennial favorites)
~ Coarse ground sea salt
~ Dijon mustard (optional)
Cut out your parchment paper heart and set your pork medallions in one half. Over this, place your herbs. Sauté some mushroom slices in a pan with a little water, a dash of olive oil and some salt. Place them on top of the fresh herbs. Over this scatter a bit of crushed garlic.
Fold the "heart" and crimp the edges. Into the naturally-formed "spout" at the heart's bottom, pour about a tablespoon of white wine.
Seal it up and cook it for about 13 minutes in a pre-heated 375-degree oven.
I went into the other room and enjoyed the breeze from a fan while I worked for a bit. When the timer went off, I transferred the parchment package to a plate and paired the meal with an Italian Rosato from Negroamaro by Cantele. It was delightfully bright with a nose of sun-ripened raspberries and unexpected notes of anise.
Upon tasting the pork and mushrooms, I found them to be flavorful, yet lacking just a bit. I put a small amount of dijon mustard onto the pork and found that it married the flavors of the rosemary and garlic beautifully - however, as a caveat to oenophiles everywhere, I have to mention that it did kill some of the subtle beauty of the wine.
I think that if I had it to do over again (which of course, I do; that's the beauty of cooking!) I would enjoy the meal with this wine as mentioned without the mustard, and for an alternate taste, I would place a bit of dijon en papillote prior to cooking, and then pair the meal with a little heavier of a wine, such as a pinot noir or a merlot.
All in all, a good meal (and I intend to take another tasting of the Rosata in a little while after my palette clears a bit) and all the more satisfying for its hot-weather-friendly nature!
Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL
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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.
