For the Man Who Dreams of a World with No Pans, Part 2

I'm down to very few main dish selections in my lovely domicile, because the restaurant supply house delivers Friday. Accordingly, last night was steak for the kids, and fish for the parents. Having a broiler pan to scrub was enough; I decided to try wrapping my fish, with seasonings and such, in parchment to see how it worked. This was a wonderful dish; if you used foil, it could be cooked on the grill instead of in an oven. Personally, I don't grill, for 2 reasons: (1) I hate black lines on my food, and (2) I can't stand the thought of eating outside with insects and crawly things, much less eating food which has been prepared on a cooking device that lives outside with insects and crawly things. Yes, that's the same mental block which caused me to smash one of my own plates after a guest fed my dog off it, instead of handing the plate to me so I could put the food in my dog;s dish. Anyway, I digress.

FISH IN PARCHMENT, VERSION 1

1 pound boneless haddock filet, split into servings
1/2 cup carrots, sliced lengthwise (use the food processor & save your fingers)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, optional
1 lemon, sliced thin
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. greshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cornstarch

Melt the butter; stir in spices and scallions, then add cornstarch and stir well. Add lemon juice.

Arrange the carrots as a bed in a square of parchment, then add mushrooms for those who desire them. Place the fish atop the mushrooms, then top the fish with lemon slices. Pour the butter combination over the fish, and fold the parchment closed, first bringing the ends up to prevent leakage of the liquids, then folding the sides up, paper bag style. Put the fish packets on a baking sheet, and bake at 500 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with the fork. Serve with rice or noodles. Cleanup involves tossing the parchment, and wiping the baking tray - near nirvana for the man who dreams of a world with no pans (as opposed to the man I saw at a university recently, who was wearing a dark green kilt, and who is said to never wear pants: he may be a man who dreams of a world with no pants!).