Cooking food en papillote (in a paper parcel or package) requires very little oil and allows the contents to gently steam, so it's a pretty healthy way to cook. As vegetables are included, it could be argued that this is the equivalent of a 'one-pot' dish.
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 fennel, cut lengthways into 4 slices
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 4 salmon steaks, about 150g each
- Salt and black pepper
- Zest of 2 limes
- 30g fresh coriander, chopped
- 4 tsp olive oil
- 4 tblsp white wine
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
- Cut four sheets of nonstick baking (parchment) paper to 42 x 30cm (16 x 12 inches). Fold each sheet in half widthways and neatly arrange a pile of the red pepper, onion, fennel and carrots in the centre of them.
- Place a salmon steak on each pile of veg and season with salt and pepper.
- Add a little lime zest and sprinkle with the coriander. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of white wine over each.
- Bring up the long sides of the parchment over the fish, fold a few times to seal, then twist the ends, rather like a Christmas cracker or candy wrapper. Place the parcels in a roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately, allowing each person to open up their own little parcel.
- Tips:
- Any fish can be used in this dish – sea bass, turbot, monkfish, cod, etc. For portions smaller than specified above, reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes to ensure the fish stays moist.
- Whole fish can also be cooked en papillote, but in this case I advise using just kitchen foil for the wrapping. A whole salmon of 1.5kg (3¼lb) will take 35-40 minutes in an oven preheated to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
- Approx cost per person based on 4 : €2.35.
