Simple salmon recipe has flavour in the bag
Fish en papillote is the elegantsounding name of a staple recipe of classic French cuisine. Translated into English, it becomes the much less elegant-sounding — “fish in a bag.”
Typically, the fish is combined with vegetables and herbs, butter or oil, and often wine. All of this is wrapped up in a piece of kitchen parchment and baked. The parchment keeps the flavour and moisture trapped inside during cooking, allowing the juices to mingle and become a wonderful sauce.
Salmon Baked in a Bag with Citrus, Olives and Chilies
Start to finish: 35 minutes Servings: 4 1 small orange 1 lemon 4 skinless 6-oz (170-g) centrecut salmon fillet pieces 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh rosemary Kosher salt 2 tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 1/3 cup (80 mL) pitted and chopped olives, preferably oilcured 1/2 serrano chili, thinly sliced crosswise Heat the oven to 400 F (205 C). Cut the orange and lemon in half crosswise. Thinly slice 1/2 of the orange and 1/2 of the lemon into thin slices. Juice the remaining halves of both fruits.
Set a sheet of kitchen parchment 24 inches (61 cm) long on a baking sheet. Fold the sheet in half across the short side, then open the folded parchment (like a book), leaving one half of it on the baking sheet. Arrange about half of the orange and lemon slices in a single layer in the centre of the parchment on the baking sheet.
Sprinkle half the rosemary over the citrus slices. Set the salmon over the rosemary, then sprinkle with salt, the citrus juices and oil. Top each piece of salmon with a quarter of the remaining rosemary and citrus slices.
Fold the second half of the parchment over the fish, then crimp and fold the edges together to create a sealed packet. Bake — on the sheet pan — on the oven’s middle shelf for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just cooked through (stick a paring knife through the parchment and salmon; it should move easily through the fish if done).
Cut open the parchment, discard the citrus slices from the top of the salmon, then place each fillet on a serving plate. Spoon some of the olives, chilies, rosemary and juices over each piece of fish.