French in a Flash: Cod en Papillote

[Photographs: Kerry Saretsky] Previously Lamb and Rosemary Brochettes with Apricot Crème Fraîche » All French in a Flash recipes » I was having lunch with an old friend this week who is incredibly successful, and recently engaged. She looked at...

French in a Flash: Salmon en Croûte with Rosemary and Asparagus

The French version of the "complete meal in a box" is the en croûte ("in crust"). Consider puff pastry your packing material. Then pack everything you need for your meal—your protein, your vegetable, your sauce—inside, with the package doubling as your carb. Foolproof. Genius, even.

Trout wellington

Love a beef wellington? Give this trout wellington a go!

River Cottage's Grilled Trout with Fennel

In The River Cottage Fish Book, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Nick Fisher offer a slight variation on the standard stuff-the-trout-with-herbs-and-grill-it method. Instead of picking soft, delicate herbs, they call for overgrown, wild fennel. Then, they not only place the floral, herbaceous plant into the fish cavity (with garlic and bay, of course), but also use the woodiest herbs as a kind of grate for cooking the fish. These woody stems smolder as the fish cooks, adding another layer of smok...

French in a Flash (Classic): Wild Mushroom Vol-au-Vent

Classical French tradition is easier when the puff pastry is store-bought. These crisp, light-as-air nests are filled with a creamy wild mushroom and thyme mixture, and are perfect for cocktails.

Whole Roast Trout with Potatoes and Asparagus

A whole roast rainbow trout stuffed with lemons and lemon thyme, roasted with new potatoes and asparagus--per person! A hearty, healthy, fast weeknight feast.

French in a Flash: Crispy Salmon with Lentils du Puy and Two-Mustard Crème Fraîche

Salmon with lentils is a traditional French pairing. Besides making a rustic, hearty, and beautiful meal, it's also inexpensive.

French in a Flash: Swordfish Paillard with Citrus Salad

Flash-seared paper-thin fish is topped with a fresh, bright salad of grapefruit, blood orange, fennel, and cured black olives. Nothing like winter citrus to beat the winter blues.

Roasted Trout with Smoked Salt and Fresh Woody Herbs

One of my favorite ways to eat whole fish is to dress it simply in salt and olive oil, and stuff it with whole twigs of rosemary and thyme. Then I either broil it in the oven, or char it...

French in a Flash: Coquilles St. Jacques Pot Pies with Roasted Lemon

Coquilles St. Jacques are a French classic: sea scallops squatting in their own half shell beds, blanketed in a cozy, creamy sauce flavored with shallots and mushrooms and maybe some white wine. For an American version, I make them into pot pies.