Wrap Up Your Dinner With Phyllo Dough

Do it to the chicken. Do it to the dill.

Do it to asparagus growing on the hill.

Food rap? No, wrapped food.

Take the most humble of ingredients, wrap them in a crust and create a dish that’s both elegant and mysterious. The variety of wrappers is endless, from egg roll skins to good-quality pie crusts to phyllo dough.

Each wrapper is suited to a particular filling. For example, use thawed frozen bread dough for a calzone or a pocket ham-and-cheese sandwich; pie crusts are great with a not-too-sloppy Joe mixture inside. Use delicate wrappers, such as egg roll skins or phyllo, for dry ingredients so the shells don’t become gummy.

Asparagus and chicken in a phyllo wrapper makes a wonderful brunch entree. The filling is flavored with shallots, green onions, tomatoes, dill and just enough hot pepper sauce to put a little zing in every bite.

As an accompaniment, make Strawberry-Rhubarb Clafouti. The fruit is bound in custard and baked in a gingersnap crust, combining the best of early summer in one dessert.

Chicken and Asparagus Bundles

2 tablespoons butter

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips (about 2/3 pound)

1 shallot, minced

2 green onions, diced

1 teaspoon minced fresh dill

1/2 pound thin asparagus

1 plum tomato, diced

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce or to taste

Salt, pepper

4 sheets phyllo dough (see note)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large, nonstick skillet. Add chicken, shallot, green onions and dill and saute 1 minute.

Trim and discard ends from asparagus. Cut spears into 1-inch lengths. Add to mixture along with tomato. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until chicken loses its pink color and vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place 1 sheet phyllo dough on clean, dry surface. Fold in half to a 12- by 8-inch rectangle. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Brush rectangle very lightly with butter. Add second folded phyllo sheet over top to create 4 layers.

Place phyllo vertically in front of you. Spoon half of chicken mixture on phyllo in narrow line down center of 12-inch length. Leave 1 to 2 inches free at top and bottom. Fold top and bottom ends towards filling. Fold left side over to center. Brush edges of phyllo with butter. Fold right side to center, covering left side by 1 inch to enclose filling. Place bundle, seam-side down, on baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling. Brush both bundles with remaining butter. Bake at 375 degrees until crisp and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Use spatula to ease onto 2 plates. Serve hot.

Yield: 2 servings.

Note: Phyllo dough is found in the freezer case of many supermarkets. Follow package directions for thawing.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Clafouti

8 (2-inch diameter) gingersnaps

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 egg yolks, beaten

3 tablespoons finely diced rhubarb

3 tablespoons finely diced strawberries (2 berries)

Crush gingersnaps finely by hand or in food processor and mix with melted butter. Press into 2 (4-inch-diameter) tart pans. Place on baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees 10 minutes. Remove and cool while preparing filling.

Combine sugar and cream in small saucepan. Bring to simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Stir yolks together in cup. Pour in half the cream mixture and stir well. Pour egg yolk mixture back into pan. Add rhubarb and strawberries and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened to consistency of pancake batter.

Spoon filling into prepared tart pans. Keep pans on baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Yield: 2 servings.

Note: Crust will absorb some of the filling, but don’t worry about it. The flavor is excellent.