Delicious Recipe

I've decided to share a recipe today since I have nothing better to talk about. This is a recipe I found in a cookbook and tweaked a bit. My mom loves it and has me make it every time she buys salmon.


Salmon en papillote (Salmon in paper) with Basil Butter


Basil Butter:

15 ea     Basil leaves, fresh, minced
1/4 tsp   Cayenne Pepper
1/4 lb     salted butter, softened

MOP:
1.) Combine all ingredients together and mix. You may use a mixer, but it creates less dishes and works just as well if you do it by hand

NOTE: You may substitute any fresh herb (Or mixture of herbs) for the basil

Salmon:

4 ea        4oz Salmon Filet
1 ea        Lemon, sliced
2 tsp       Salt
1 tsp       White pepper (you may substitute black pepper)
4 ea        Garlic cloves
1 ea        5x6 Tomato (Medium sized globe tomato), sliced
4 ea        Bay Leaves
2 tsp       Paprika

MOP:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 F (176.7 C)

2.) Season salmon with salt an pepper

3.) Lay out a piece of parchment paper that is about twice as long and three times as wide as your salmon filet. If you do not have parchment paper, foil works just as well

4.) Lay one salmon filet in the middle of the parchment paper and place 1 garlic clove, one bay leaf, once slice of tomato, one slice of lemon and 1/2 tsp of paprika on top of salmon.

5.) Lengthwise, bring the two edges of the parchment paper together above the salmon and fold them together until the paper is resting on the salmon.

6.) Take the edges of the paper, twist them firmly and tuck under the salmon.

7.) Repeat with three remaining filets

8.) Place all packages onto a sheet tray and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until salmon is cooked to your liking.

9.) To serve, carefully cut open packages to release the steam, remove the bay leaf and lemon slice, and put a dollop of the basil butter on top.

Some Notes:

 You have to be certain that the packages are air tight. This is a method of steaming, so if the steam can escape, the salmon will not cook the way it is meant to.

If you choose foil of parchment paper, it allows you to cook the salmon on a grill, which makes it easier to monitor. However, doing this will not impart any additional flavor to the salmon, as the package should be air-tight.

Be careful when opening the packages, as they will contain hot steam, which can cause very painful burns.

If you do not serve the salmon with the butter, this is a very healthy dish. A good substitution for the herb butter is a nice fruit chutney (I'd recommend mango), although you can choose anything you think would work.

My preferred sides for this dish are sauteed green beans and a basic rice pilaf

If you like wine with your food, I recommend a nice Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc, although it really comes down to your own personal taste.



In the immortal words of Julia Child, "Bon Appetit!"