French Parcels Recipes

Steps:

• Flatten the pork escalopes or pork steaks with the flat of a large knife. Salt and pepper generously.
• Mix the finely diced onion with the sausage meat and add the herbs - mixing well with your hands. Season with black pepper.
• Place a spoonful of the seasoned sausage meat on each pork escalope one-third of the way down the scallop. Roll the escalope around the sausage meat, tucking the meat around the stuffing until well rolled. Taking about two feet of string, place the bundle in the middle of the string, and tie; turn one-quarter turn and tie again; turn again and tie again. When you have a neatly tied packet of pork and stuffing, clip off any excess string and proceed to tie up the rest of the pork escalopes.
• Place pork parcels in a single layer in a hot, deep sauté pan with olive oil. Brown on all sides and remove from the pan.
• Sauté the chopped shallots in the oil left in the pan. Stir until they start to colour, then add the flour and the tomato paste. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture starts to colour then add nearly the whole bottle of wine, reserving a glass for yourself if you wish!
• Place the pork paupiettes back in the pan with the bouquet garni and the sauce, cover, and simmer slowly for forty-five to sixty minutes.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and orange zest to the sauce and cook uncovered for another fifteen minutes. Serve 2 paupiettes per person with plenty of sauce and with a selection of seasonal vegetables, gratin potatoes, rice or pasta.
• To freeze: Place them in a plastic container with greaseproof paper in between them, or in a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• To defrost: Take the paupiettes out the night before you need to cook them and defrost in the fridge. Cook them as before when they have fully defrosted.

Steps:

• Spread a teaspoon of butter on each of 4 sheets of foil. Place a steak in the centre of each sheet.
• Combine remaining ingredients and spread on steaks. Wrap foil around to form parcels and place on a baking tray.
• Bake at 180C for 30 minutes. Serve with jacket or new potatoes and salad.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C Fan/gas 7. Cut a slit halfway in each chicken breast, then put each one between two pieces of baking parchment and bash with a rolling pin to flatten slightly.
• Cut your sheet of pastry in half widthways and put both halves on a baking tray. Sit a chicken breast on top of each half, then cram the cavities with the Boursin (don't worry if a bit of cheese oozes out). Season, scatter over the lemon zest then fold the edges of the pastry in to the centre and pinch shut. Flip each parcel over so the seal is on the bottom. Brush with a little oil, then bake for 30 mins until deep golden.
• About 10 mins before your parcels are ready, steam or boil the greens until tender. Toss in the oil and season. Serve alongside your chicken parcels with lemon wedges for squeezing over.