The idea of a fish course after pasta and soup and before a meat course, cheese course, and dessert sounds a little overwhelming to most Americans, but remember that in the traditional Mediterranean each course is very small and the family cook might spend most of the day preparing the meal. Most of us don’t have the time for that sort of thing. This dish makes a perfect feature and takes just enough time to prepare that you feel you really put forth an effort to produce a quality meal.

•  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Fold each sheet of parchment paper in half, and cut a heart shape approximately 3–4 inches bigger (when folded in half) than your salmon fillet.

•  Unfold the parchment and place a fillet near the fold. Place a handful of green garlic next to it. Drizzle each fillet with wine  and olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs. Top with a pat of butter. Fold the edges of the parchment paper up tightly.

•  Place the paper packets on a baking sheet and bake 10–15 minutes, or until the parchment paper is puffed and slightly brown. Remove from the oven and open carefully onto dinner plates, allowing the steam to safely escape. Serve hot.