INGREDIENTS: Makes about 2 servings

3 tablespoons/45g/1 1/2 oz butter

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped dill, plus 2 fronds for garnish

2 large salmon fillets (each about 150 g/5oz) without skin

3-4 tablespoons dry white vermouth

2 sheets of parchment paper, each 12x16 inches/30x38 cm

1. Melt half the butter in a frying pan, add the fennel with salt and pepper and press a piece of foil on top. Cook over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes until the fennel is softened but still fairly crisp. Stir the chopped dill into the fennel, taste and adjust the seasoning.

2. To shape the paper cases: Fold each sheet of parchment paper in half lengthwise and trim one end to a point along the fold. Cut the other end in a curve so that when the paper is opened flat it forms a heart shape. Melt the remaining butter and brush the paper.

3. Spread a bed of fennel on each paper, just to one side of the fold and leaving a 3-inch/7.5-cm border of paper. Top with the salmon and sprinkle the fish with the vermouth, salt and pepper. Add a dill sprig. Fold the paper back over the salmon and press the edges together. Starting at the curved side, pleat the paper on itself to seal the edges, working around to finish at the point with a quick twist of the paper. You can prepare the paper cases up to 2 hours ahead and the fish will marinate and pick up flavor from the vermouth. However, be sure the fennel is quite cold before you set the raw salmon on top.

4. To finish: Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C/Gas 5. Transfer the packages to a baking sheet and bake in the oven until they are puffed up and brown, 15 to 20 minutes. When cooked, steam from the fish and fennel swells the paper into a balloon. Transfer the packages to warm plates and serve at once as they deflate as quickly as a soufflé.

Quick Fix
Foil packages are quicker to shape than the traditional parchment paper, though you’ll miss the enticing brown of the cooked paper package.

What Wine
To Cook: Extra dry vermouth – but do not use a long-opened bottle as it may be slightly oxidized and spoil the dish.
To Drink: Choosing a wine to drink with this attractive dish is complicated by the anise accent of the fennel. A good solution would be a wine from Provence where fish and fennel so often go together. Seek out a dry white or rosé from Bandol or Cassis, and serve it well chilled.

This Recipe of the Month selection comes from Anne Willan's newest release: Anne Willan Cooking With Wine (2001) published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. in association with COPIA: American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts.