Salmon In Parchment

Think of your parchment paper as a blank canvas when building your Poisson en Papillote (fish in parchment). There are so many different ingredients and fresh herbs you can use to make each dish unique every time you serve it. Steaming fish in parchment paper is a healthy, tasty way to cook it, and it's so simple you can have it ready in less than 30 minutes. Impress dinner guests by presenting them with their very own parchment pouches.

First Layer:
asparagus, string beans, napa cabbage, bok choy, bitter greens, lemongrass, mushrooms, fennel, tomatoes or zucchini, thinly sliced and stacked or cherry tomatoes halved

Second Layer:
1 (6-8 oz) fillet salmon, boneless, skin-on or skinless
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
fine sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Third Layer:
aromatics; garlic, olives, capers, ginger, scallions, shallots, onions
fresh herbs; bay leaf cut in half, dill, chives, tarragon, chervil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, flat-leaf parsley, chopped
vegetables; grape tomatoes, fresh spinach leaves, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, fresh corn kernels, pitted and halved Kalamata olives, finely chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced green onions, grated zucchini or carrots

Fourth Layer:
1 Tbsp. butter, cut into small cubes
3 thin slices lemon
1 Tbsp. dry white wine or water

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6). Lay out a 13" square of parchment paper.

For the 1st Layer:
In the middle of the parchment paper, lay out your building vegetables, try to make it as uniform as possible, as in a few layers of thinly sliced ingredients or a single layer of asparagus spears.

For the 2nd Layer:
Place the fish fillet on top of the first layer of ingredients. Drizzle fish with olive oil, rub to distribute evenly. Season fish with salt and pepper and other spices, such as cayenne or paprika.

For the 3rd Layer:
This layer is optional, but recommended for an all-in-meal and to add aromatics and flavouring to the dish. Add at least one of the aromatic, herb and vegetable.

For the 4th Layer:
To the top, distribute a few dots of butter, cover with a few thin slices of citrus and then sprinkle wine or water.

Assembly:
Lift the parchment paper on 2 opposite sides to meet in the middle above fish. Tightly fold down paper until it reaches the top of the ingredients, crimping to seal. Roll up and crimp the other ends to seal. (Be sure the paper is sealed snugly so that steam won’t escape during cooking. Secure folds with toothpicks, if you like.)

Make-Ahead: You can prepare the parchment package ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 6 hours. Then cook as directed.

Place the packets on a baking sheet and roast until fish is just cooked through, 10-12 minutes for thin fillets and 12-14 minutes for thicker fillets.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the parchment package to a dinner plate.

Serve by cutting into the parchment tableside using scissors or a knife.

Makes 1 serving.