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½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup dry white wine

6. Japanese Style

Four 4-to 6-ounce thin white-fleshed fish fillets

1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded

6 ounces enoki mushrooms, cleaned

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon wasabi powder

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons dry sake

2 tablespoons soy sauce

7. Stir-Fry Style

Four 4-to 6-ounce thin white-fleshed fish fillets

4 ounces snow peas

8 scallions, cut into 2-inch sections

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 450°F.

Lay four 12-inch pieces of parchment paper on the work surface. If you’d like extra security in holding the packets together, double the parchment paper, using two sheets for each.

Place a fish fillet in the middle of each parchment sheet. Divide the remaining ingredients on top of the fillets, sprinkling or adding them in the order listed.

Bring the two long sides of one sheet of parchment paper together; fold and crinkle to seal. Crinkle the ends closed and fold underneath. Make sure the packet is completely sealed; any gaps will result in steam leaks and dried-out fish fillets. Transfer the packet to a large lipped baking sheet and repeat with the other three.

Bake until hot and steaming, until the thin end of a fillet flakes with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. (Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell if the fish is done, short of opening one of the packets; be careful: the steam is very hot.) Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the packets stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Transfer directly to plates with a large metal spatula. Or serve the fish right from the packets on the plates. If you have children, unwrap theirs for them.

Packets on the Grill

Because the parchment paper can ignite, lay a 12-inch piece of aluminum foil under each parchment paper sheet, add the ingredients as indicated, and fold the foil and parchment together, making sure no bits of parchment are sticking up outside the foil seal. (Fold the two together; if you first fold the parchment closed and then the foil, the sauce will leak into the foil packet, rather than stay with the fish.) Set the foil packets directly over high heat or 4 to 6 inches from a high heat coal bed, cover the grill, and bake for 12 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Four Escabeches

These cold, vinegary dishes ride the line between a first course and a main one. All follow a similar technique: sear the fish, make the sauce, and refrigerate together. As a first course, serve on toasted bread or crackers with cocktails. As a main course, serve in lettuce cups, tortilla wraps, or alongside a platter of steamed asparagus or boiled potatoes. Escabeches are truly international, found in many countries across the globe; we’ve replicated the tastes with the modern supermarket in mind. For an explanation of nonreactive bowls.

I. Spanish-Inspired Escabeche with Red Peppers and Saffron

Makes 4 main-course servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup olive oil

2 pounds thin white-fleshed fish fillets

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 jarred roasted red bell peppers or jarred whole pimientos, shredded into thin strips

2 teaspoons stemmed thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon saffron

1 cup sherry vinegar

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the flour in a shallow soup bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels; then dredge them in the flour, shake off the excess, and slip them into the pan. Cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until lightly browned on the other side, about 1 more minute. Transfer the fillets to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes.

Slice