Love Bundles

I'm going to show you this meal because it was good despite one of the ingredients. It was a success despite the really crappy can of crabmeat I bought and brought home thinking it was good. "Wild caught crab" the can said. Possibly true, but it was in such tiny little shreds that it was hardly recognizable as crab. I should have stuck to my guns and refused to buy any but my usual excellent brand. Oh, well.

The good part was the dover sole that I laid over a big bed of Swiss chard on parchment paper, covered with crabmeat, topped with lemon zest, and dotted with butter. A little salt, a little pepper, then wrapped it all up into a tight little bundle and baked it in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.

The bundles kept the steam inside and all the flavors mingled under the parchment roof. No need for extra water or anything - there was enough water just clinging to the Swiss chard leaves after I washed them.

If that darn crab had been any good, I'd be singing the praises of this dish. As it is, I'll just advise you to get the best crab meat you can find, hopefully big chunks of Dungeness crab, and make up some love bundles of your own. They'd make an easy and seductive dinner for your Valentine, for example.