Ingredients:
- 4 big leaves of romaine lettuce
- Four 3oz portions salmon
- 1 cup white wine
- approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Take as many big, intact leaves of lettuce as you have pieces of fish. With large outer leaves, cut out center veins 2 to 3 inches up from bottom of leaves, to the point where the leaf is more pliable; with inner leaves this may not be necessary. One or 2 at a time, blanch leaves in boiling water until they are tender and flexible, 30 seconds to a minute. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Put a piece of fish on each leaf and sprinkle with salt and pepper; fold or roll fish in leaf so edges overlap. It is not important to make a tight seal, but it is nice if the leaf package covers all the fish. When done, you can cover and refrigerate packages until ready to serve, or continue.
In a large, broad skillet or casserole with a cover, bring wine to a boil with butter.
Reduce heat to a simmer and add fish packages. Cover and simmer until a thin-bladed knife easily penetrates fish, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove fish to a warm platter.
Over high heat, quickly reduce liquid in skillet; it is likely there will be more than there was when you started. When it is thickened a bit, pour over fish and serve.
Gianluca Paris is the Executive Chef and owner of Luca’s Mediterranean Café, a fine dining restaurant, The Market at Luca’s, offering light bistro style fare and gourmet take out and Luca's Culinary Journey Catering in Keene, New Hampshire, where he lives with his wife Lindy and his two children. He is the recipient of many accolades, including “Excellence in Dining” and “Best Service/Wait staff” every year since 2002 from Market Surveys of America, along with “Best Mediterranean Restaurant,” “Best Fine Dining Restaurant,” “Best Caterer in New Hampshire,” and, for four years, “Best Restaurant in the Monadnock Region” from New Hampshire Magazine.