Chef John’s Salmon in Parchment
Preparing fish in parchment paper is remarkably straightforward, albeit somewhat daunting for inexperienced cooks. With the seafood enclosed in paper, it's challenging to determine its doneness. However, here's the good news: if you opt for a sizable, center-cut salmon fillet, approximately 8 or 9 ounces, and bake it for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll likely achieve excellent results.
Ingredients
parchment paper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, or more if needed
- 6 small potatoes
- 10 spears asparagus
- 2 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless, center-cut salmon fillets
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Take two pieces of parchment paper, fold in half, and cut a half-circle starting at each crease. They should look similar to a heart-shape when unfolded. Coat each piece of parchment with olive oil on both sides.
- Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus, and cook uncovered until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the asparagus is cold, drain well, and set aside.
- Place 1 salmon fillet, half the asparagus, and half the potatoes in the middle of one side of a prepared parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Fold other half of circle over and seal parchment edge by making overlapping folds around the edge. At the end, fold the last crease in the opposite direction of the rest to ensure it seals. Repeat with the second piece of prepared parchment and remaining ingredients. Place pouches on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting open parchment. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
Notes
- I served mine with a very light mustard aioli, which was simply mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and a touch of garlic.
Nutrition
Calories: 873kcalCarbohydrates: 115gProtein: 63gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 3650mgFiber: 16gSugar: 7gVitamin C: 132mgCalcium: 177mgIron: 8mg
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