Louisiana Fish Fillet Parcels

In 1901 Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans honoured the balloonist Alberto Santos-Dumont by creating this now-famous dish of fish and creamy seafood sauce baked in balloon-shaped envelopes. What an inspiration it was! It is always an exciting moment when guests open their own surprise parcel and taste the contents. I often cook whole fish, stuffed with herbs, in paper parcels like this.