The French technique en papillote simply translates to in paper and refers to food (usually fish) cooked in a pouch made of parchment paper or foil. This simple pouch cooks the fish gently with steam, leading to a soft, flaky fish within the parchment. In this recipe, the salmon is folded into a pouch with persillade, a parsley-forward sauce not dissimilar to Argentina’s chimichurri. Flavors of fresh parsley, dill, lemon, and garlic incense the salmon, which cooks to a perfect tenderness in less than 15 minutes.
This method works beautifully on vegetables, too, which can be added to the same pouch as the salmon for an all-in-one meal. It’s easy, flavorful, and makes for a beautiful presentation as guests unwrap steaming, fresh fish right from the oven.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Pack parsley, garlic, dill, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, then blend for a few seconds until mixture begins to look creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.
Place a filet of salmon on a 10 by 12-inch piece of parchment paper. Add 2 tablespoons of persillade to the salmon, spreading in a thin layer across the top of the filet.
Add cherry tomatoes and shallot on top of the persillade. To wrap the salmon in the parchment, first bring the long ends together and fold to seal. Fold again, making a neat crease across the top of the salmon.
To seal the parchment, fold the sides, first folding over one inch, then folding again in the other direction to seal. Salmon should be tightly sealed into the parchment, with some room to steam in the middle.
Repeat the process with the remaining filets, then place them on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until cooked through and flaky.
To serve, unwrap the salmon from the parchment pouch.
