Organization: How to Cook Single-Handedly for Diners by the Dozen

I was put to shame by a total stranger recently. If I’m asked to cook dinner for 12 single-handedly, I tend to declare myself overworked. Yet at a recent diplomatic party I attended, two dozen guests were welcomed by the hostess with, as far as I could see, only the help of her two young children. Not only was the service smooth, the food was delicious.

For convenience, the first course, a salad, was on the table when we sat down. In this menu I suggest a seasonal cold and hot combination of your favorite plain green salad with vinaigrette, topped with hot turnovers of goat cheese flavored with herbs and garlic. First cousin to calzone, this turnover recipe uses pastry instead of bread dough, so baking can be done a day or two ahead. If you have problems finding goat cheese, fresh feta or ricotta cheeses can be substituted.

The main course at dinner was a stroke of organizational genius, in my opinion. Hot plates were distributed, then the children appeared with trays of intriguing papillotes --gondola-shaped foil packages containing fish baked with vegetables and herbs. Flavors had blended enticingly during cooking, and the aroma as each guest opened the papillote was a feast in itself.

Selecting Fish, Vegetables

Well-flavored meaty fish such as pompano, snapper, sea bass, cod or haddock are best for this dish. Swordfish or tuna steaks would be good too, but cooking time must be increased by three to five minutes because of their dense texture.

For vegetables, pick the best in the market, being sure to include tomatoes and carrots for color. Potatoes go in to absorb cooking juices. This is a good place to display trendy miniature squash or zucchini when they are available. All the vegetables are precooked so they simply reheat in the papillote, whereas the fish cooks just to the point where it flakes without any transparent center.

Dessert--a chocolate roll--can be made well ahead. Rich and moist, the ganache filling of chocolate and cream is spiked with pieces of fresh orange. The only tricky part is to lightly bake the chocolate batter so it is not too dry to be rolled while still warm in a dish towel.

When the cake is cooled and unrolled for filling, it may crack a bit. Just press it back into shape and, after chilling in the refrigerator, it will slice perfectly. As for the trimmings, I suspect they found a happy home with the hostess’ young helpers.

PLAN-AHEAD GOURMET DINNER FOR 12 Goat Cheese Turnovers Papillotes of Fish With Baby Vegetables Chocolate-Orange Roll Suggested wine: Dry fruity white such as a domestic Pinot Blanc, a French Sylvaner from Alsace or an Italian Pinot Grigio Most of this menu is prepared two days ahead with a little more to do in the morning or the afternoon of the party. The evening schedule is light, leaving time to pour drinks and greet guests.

Up to two days ahead, bake the cheese turnovers. Store in an airtight container. Make the chocolate rolls, fill, then refrigerate.

Up to six hours ahead, wash the salad greens. Prepare the fish papillotes, then refrigerate. Set the table. Chill the wine.

Up to two hours before serving, slice the chocolate rolls, set on plates and refrigerate.

About 15 minutes before serving, heat the turnovers. Just before serving, warm turnovers. About 15 minutes before serving, bake papillotes.

GOAT CHEESE TURNOVERS

Pastry for double- and single-crust pies

3/4 pound soft goat cheese

3 eggs

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped chives, optional

1 clove garlic, crushed, optional

Pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Salad greens

Chill pastry dough 15 minutes. Grease 2 baking sheets.

Crumble cheese into bowl. Beat 2 eggs, then beat into cheese to make smooth mixture. Beat in parsley, chives and garlic and season to taste with pepper. (Filling also can be mixed in food processor.)

Roll out pastry 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 4-inch rounds using cookie cutter. Combine remaining egg with salt and brush edges of dough with glaze. Place 1 teaspoon filling in center. Fold over dough to make semicircles. Press edges well to seal. Brush turnovers with glaze. Snip top 2 or 3 times with scissors so steam can escape. Set on baking sheets. Chill until firm, at least 15 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees until browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Turnovers can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored in airtight container.

To serve, warm turnovers in 300-degree oven 10 minutes. Arrange bed of salad greens on 12 individual plates. Set 2 hot turnovers on top of each. Serve immediately. Makes 24 (4-inch) turnovers, 12 servings.

PAPILLOTES OF FISH WITH BABY VEGETABLES

Butter

5 pounds fish fillets (swordfish, pompano, snapper or cod)

1 pound carrots

3 pounds potatoes

3 bunches green onions

1 1/2 pounds zucchini

1 pound cherry tomatoes

Salt, pepper

12 sprigs thyme, oregano or other herb

Cut 12 ovals of foil, each measuring 16x12 inches. Brush foil with butter. Cut fish into 12 equal pieces. Set 1 piece in center of each piece of foil. Chill while preparing vegetables.

Peel carrots, leaving small ones whole and cutting large ones into sticks. Peel large potatoes, then cut into 8 wedges. Trim into oval shapes. Trim green onions 4 inches long. Trim zucchini, leaving small ones whole and cutting large ones into sticks. Leave tomatoes unpeeled.

Place carrots in cold salted water. Cover and boil 5 to 8 minutes. Drain. Place potatoes in cold salted water. Cover and boil 8 to 12 minutes. Drain. Cook green onions in boiling salted water 30 to 60 seconds. Rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly. Cook zucchini in boiling salted water 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly.

Arrange carrots, potatoes, green onions, zucchini and tomatoes in piles on each long side of foil. Season fish and vegetables to taste with salt and pepper. Dot top of each with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Add thyme.

Lift opposite sides of foil and join on top of fish. Pleat to form long package with vegetables at each end and fish in center. Twist ends. Curl ends upward and inward to make gondola shape. Repeat with remaining fish and vegetables.

Papillotes can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead and refrigerated, provided vegetables were cold before placing with fish.

Set papillotes on baking sheets. Bake at 450 degrees 12 to 18 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. Open 1 package to test fish, which should just flake easily. Serve papillotes at once on individual plates. Let guests open foil and transfer fish and vegetables to plate. Makes 12 servings.

Note: Papillote means “wrapped in paper,” but this recipe uses foil for convenience.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE ROLL

Butter

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons flour

12 eggs, separated

2 cups granulated sugar

6 oranges

1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

3 to 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Powdered sugar

6 thin orange slices, cut in halves

Butter 2 (15x10-inch) jellyroll pans. Line with wax paper. Butter paper. Sift cocoa with flour.

Beat egg yolks with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar in bowl until thick and light, about 5 minutes. Stir in half of cocoa mixture. Divide mixture in half.

Stiffly beat 6 egg whites. Add half of remaining granulated sugar. Beat until meringue is glossy and forms soft peaks, about 30 seconds. Fold in half of remaining cocoa mixture.

Stir some of meringue mixture into 1 batch of egg yolk mixture. Return this mixture to remaining meringue. Fold together as lightly as possible. Spread batter evenly on prepared jellyroll pan.

Bake at 425 degrees until batter is well risen and firm to touch, 9 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake or cake will be impossible to roll.

Meanwhile, prepare remaining batch of batter as described above with remaining egg whites, granulated sugar, cocoa mixture and egg yolk mixture.

Slide cake off jellyroll pan onto rack. Invert cake onto dish towel. Remove wax paper. Roll up warm cake with towel, beginning at long side. Leave to cool. Bake remaining batter in way described above.

To make orange ganache filling, grate peel of 3 oranges. Cut peel and pith from all oranges. Cut out segments, discarding skin. Melt chocolate in heat-proof bowl over pan of hot water. Bring cream just to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate. Beat until very smooth. Beat in orange peel and Grand Marnier. Let cool to tepid. Whisk filling until very light, about 3 minutes.

Unroll cakes. Spread each with chocolate mixture. Scatter orange segments on top. Roll up cake with aid of towel. Wrap tightly in foil. Chill at least 6 hours. Cakes can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, then stored in refrigerator.

To finish, not more than 2 hours before serving, sprinkle cakes with sifted powdered sugar. Cut each in 6 diagonal slices, discarding ends. Set slice, cut side down, on individual plates. Top with twisted slice of orange. Makes 12 servings.