• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• ½ pound fresh asparagus
• 6 dried black mushrooms (shiitake), soaked in hot water until soft, then drained
• 1 live abalone, 4 to 5 ounces, shucked, cleaned and sliced horizontally 1/8-inch thick
• Baking parchment

Blanch the asparagus in lightly salted boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water, then slice into bite-sized pieces.

Remove and discard the stems from the mushrooms. Cut the mushroom caps in half.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Cut two 12-inch squares of baking parchment. Fold each in half diagonally to form triangles; crease the corners, then open up the parchment to the original square shape.

Arrange half of the abalone slices, half of the asparagus and half of the mushrooms on one side of each square; dot with lemon butter. Fold the other side of the paper over the fish and seal with a series of creases, starting with one corner and finishing with a twist at the opposite end; place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the other square and the remaining ingredients.

Bake until the packets are puffy and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Remove from oven and place packets on individual plates for diners to open (carefully, by slitting with a small sharp knife, or unwrapping edges of the packet), or open and transfer contents to serving plates.

Serves 2

PER SERVING: 265 calories, 13g protein, 15g carbohydrate, 18g fat (11g saturated), 95mg cholesterol, 319mg sodium, 4g fiber.

This is from Luc Chamberland of Abalone Acres.