salmon en papillote

Salmon

Salmon en Papillote

Delicate salmon fillet baked en papillote (in parchment) with fresh herbs, vegetables, and a splash of citrus. Steamed in its own juices, this dish is light, aromatic, and bursting with clean, vibrant flavors.

Ingredients

16 to 20 kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 medium shallot (about 2 ounces), thinly sliced
3 ounces red bell pepper (about 1/2 large pepper), thinly sliced
1 3/4 ounces leek (white and tender green parts only from about 1/4 large leek), thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
two 6-ounce salmon fillets
2 tablespoons anise-flavored liqueur (such as sambuca, pastis or pernod) or white wine
2 fresh bay leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut two 15-by-24-inch pieces of parchment. Fold each in half crosswise like a book, then cut each into a heart shape. Open the hearts and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, stir to combine the olives, capers, shallot, bell pepper, leeks and garlic. Add the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; stir to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper--the capers and olives add their own saltiness to the mixture.
Season both sides of each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Place 1 fillet near the fold of each parchment heart. Drizzle each fillet with 1 tablespoon each olive oil and sambuca. Place 1 bay leaf on each fillet then top evenly with the olive mixture.
Fold the halves of each heart together, crimping along the edge from top to bottom. When you reach the pointed end, twist it to shut each packet.
Bake the packets on the baking sheet until they are slightly puffed and the salmon is cooked, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, place on plates and carefully cut open the packets at the table.