Sigh. It’s a weeknight. You’re tired. You’re hungry. You’re out of dinner ideas. Never fear! I have a quicky, easy weeknight meal for you to try. Today, I am going to introduce a meal that is versatile, quick, and easy to cook. The technique – “en papillote” – is one you can use over and over with a variety of ingredients.
So, what does “en papillote” even mean? In French, the term means “in parchment.” The cook creates a pouch from cooking parchment, fills that pouch with ingredients, and bakes. The parchment holds in the steam created when the vegetables and meat cook – which infuses the ingredients with a variety of flavors. The result is is a steamy, succulent meal that is quick to create, is a breeze to clean up, and – best of all- is full of flavor.
This week, I made a salmon dish baked “en papillote” with a variety of vegetables – squash, carrot, onion, garlic, and spinach. It was flavored with fresh rosemary from my garden, and a splash of white wine. The results were wonderful – the salmon had soaked up the flavors of the wine, veggies, and fresh herbs, the vegetables were tender, and the dish itself was appealing and colorful! I served it with some toasted whole grain sourdough bread, and put out olive oil to dip. Yum!
I have cooked other fish “en papillote” before with a variety of different vegetables I had in my fridge. The results always seem to be similar if you add herbs and a dash of wine or homemade broth.
Here’s the recipe. It serves 2.
Baked Salmon en Papillote Ingredients:
2 salmon filets
1 yellow squash
10 baby carrots
2 cups baby spinach
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
parchment paper
Baked Salmon en Papillote Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Cut carrots and squash into bite-sized pieces.
3. Chop onion and rosemary.
4. Mince garlic.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together carrots, squash, onion, rosemary, and garlic.
4. Cut up two sheets of parchment paper into approximately 9 in x 9 in squares.
5. Add your mixed veggies in a condensed pile in the middle of the parchment paper.
6. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to each set of veggies.
7. Place a salmon filet on top of your veggies.
8. Pour 1/8 cup of white wine (you can sub for broth as well) on top of the salmon.
9. Fold in the sides of your parchment to make sealed pocket, like this:
10. Pop in the oven for 15-25 minutes, depending how how you like your salmon cooked (rare = less time, well-done = more time).
11. Take your parchment pockets out of the oven, and open the pouches. Add a cup of baby spinach to each pouch, and loosely close your parchment again – let sit for 5 minutes. This lets the spinach wilt, but not overcook.
12. Remove all ingredients from the parchment, and serve on a plate with crusty, whole grain bread!
Have you used the “en papillote” technique before? Share your recipes in the comments!
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