Salmon en papillote
Cooking fish en papillote…oh excuse me…in parchment paper…is a classic, french method. Like so many other classic methods it has been widely written about on the internets, so I’m not going to drone on and on about it other than to say, if you haven’t tried this yet, you should. It’s easy, fun, and foolproof…even for me. The reason it’s classic is that it works so well. You don’t have to worry about flipping a piece of fish, or think about whether you need to start it skin side down or up (I can never, ever, remember that one).
Cooking in parchment paper allows you to make a little nest for your fish. You can arrange, fuss, season, and generally feel pretty damn good about what you’re doing. Then you fold the paper, slide it in a hot oven, and eat a beautiful dinner 20 minutes later. Yes, technically there is a specific folding technique one is supposed to execute…but perhaps that was relevant before staplers were invented…I’ve always invited office products into my kitchen and this is certainly a most appropriate use of a stapler.
So here’s my recipe…no words…because you know, a picture says…
There is only one thing to remember, build your parchement pack on the cookie sheet you’ll bake it on…otherwise you’ll have to move it.
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6 Responses to “Salmon en papillote”
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That fish looks really good. It’s funny that you posted this right after linguine with clam sauce. As a kid in Italy, I ate “spaghetti alle vongole in cartoccio” at beachside restaurants. The pasta is cooked then mixed with sauce and baked in the parchment. You open the package at the table and the smell is amazing. The CSA veggies arrive today and I have a lot of frozen halibut, so I may give this one a spin!
Hey, that looks like charmoula sauce. Am I close?
Aren’t you afraid your geek diners will maybe eat a staple with their dinner? I know, we could all use some more iron in our diet, but those pieces of metal scare me a little.
I tagged you for some meme ‘fun’. Maybe you’ll decide to participate?
What a beautifil presentation and photos. I have cooked salmon in parchment paper, but never so beautifully. Wouldn’t that be something to present your guests!
You’re right, that says it all…except “Ooooh, that looks good”!
MadLisa, I want some of that pasta.
Jef, actally chimichurri. What’s charmoula? No problem with the staples because I use scissors to cut it open.
Valli and Katiez…thanks, I love you both!
Charmoula is a Moroccan marinade/sauce. It’s usually based upon oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. The type I’m most familiar with adds cilantro to the mixture so it looks almost like a pesto (or chimichurri). It is usually put on fish or light game like lamb. You should try it out sometime.
There’s a decent description of it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chermoula