I love salmon…broiled, grilled, steamed and even raw. It’s lovely, delicate pinky orange flesh is one of my favorite sources of protein. But sadly, I married a man who hates it. He can’t look at it or smell it without cringing! So, as a courtesy to him, I usually only cook/eat it when he is out of town.
When he went on a business trip a few weeks ago I jumped at the chance to make Citrus Salmon in Parchment Paper! Not wanting to keep this lovely dish to myself, I invited my Mom over for dinner…and then I tricked her into being my sous chef and photography assistant! Lucky for me she’s a great sport and has a very keen eye for detail when it comes to food styling (who knew?)!
While Citrus Salmon in Parchment Paper may sound complicated, it’s really just a method of steaming fish (and some veggies) in a parchment paper pouch. The sealed pouch keeps the steam in and cooks the food to perfection in about 15 minutes, with little to no mess…bonus!! And it makes for a really pretty presentation!
While the combinations of ingredients are endless, I made my Citrus Salmon in Parchment Paper with 6 oz pieces of wild caught salmon (I try to avoid farmed fish, but it’s a personal decision), some veggies, shallots, garlic, tarragon, lemon and orange.
Because I want to keep things simple, I’m going to provide loose instructions here. You should use whatever fish or veggies you prefer!
Prep your veggies. Wash and cut your veggie. If you choose to use longer cooking veggies (like carrots) you’ll need to cut them small/thin and consider steaming/microwaving them for about 2 minutes to partially pre-cook them.
Make your pouches. Take a piece of parchment paper 24 inches long, fold it in half and cut into a half heart shape…so when you open it up it’s a bit heart!
Cut any citrus you are using in half. Slice one half into slices and leave the other half whole so you can squeeze some juice over the fish.
Place the fish, and a serving of veggies, on the unfolded parchment paper (to one side of the fold). And then top the fish and veggies with your seasoning/herbs of choice, a squeeze of citrus, some citrus slices and a drizzle of olive oil.
Seal the pouches by folding the heart in half, and then folding/crimping the edges from the top of the heart to the bottom, until you have a pouch! Be sure to press firmly (maybe running your nail across the folds) to make sure it’s sealed and the steam can’t escape.
Place the sealed pouches on a baking sheet, no need to line or grease the sheet, and cook at 400 for about 15 mins. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish.
I prefer to serve the pouches whole…just be careful because when you cut them the steam will escape and it could burn you!
- 4 6 oz pieces of wild caught salmon
- 12 asparagus spears, trimmed
- 8 broccolini spears, trimmed
- 1 shallot, thin sliced.
- 4 carrots (any color), sliced thin
- 4 sprigs of tarragon
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lemons
- 2 oranges
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- Salt/pepper
- Prep your veggies. Wash and cut your veggie. If you choose to use longer cooking veggies (like carrots) you’ll need to cut them small/thin and consider steaming/microwaving them for about 2 minutes to partially pre-cook them.
- Make your pouches. Take a piece of parchment paper 24 inches long, fold it in half and cut into a half heart shape…so when you open it up it’s a bit heart!
- Cut any citrus you are using in half. Slice one half into slices and leave the other half whole so you can squeeze some juice over the fish.
- Place the fish, and a serving of veggies, on the unfolded parchment paper (to one side of the fold).
- Top the fish and veggies with your seasoning/herbs of choice, a squeeze of citrus, some citrus slices and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Seal the pouches by folding the heart in half, and then folding/crimping the edges from the top of the heart to the bottom, until you have a pouch! Be sure to press firmly (maybe running your nail across the folds) to make sure it’s sealed and the steam can’t escape.
- Place the sealed pouches on a baking sheet, no need to line or grease the sheet, and cook at 400 for about 15 mins. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish.
- I prefer to serve the pouches whole…just be careful because when you cut them the steam will escape and it could burn you!