J'Ande's Salmon En Papillote
Submitted by BeckyTrue
Salmon en papillote steamed in parchment with seared zucchini, crookneck squash, onion, merlot, lemon butter, and Grand Marnier. A 7-minute oven finish for restaurant-style presentation.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
7 minREADY
40 minEn papillote sounds fancy and cooks fast. Salmon fillets and seared summer vegetables get sealed inside folded parchment circles with a spoonful of lemon butter, a splash of merlot, and a hit of Grand Marnier, then the packets inflate in a ripping-hot 500°F (260°C) oven. Seven minutes later the papillote arrives at the table puffed and steaming.
Pre-searing the vegetables is the step that makes this version better than most. A quick char on both sides in a cast iron skillet starts the Maillard reaction the parchment bake cannot produce, so the salmon ends up resting on a bed of vegetables that taste cooked rather than blanched. The orange liqueur is the unusual aromatic that cuts through the richness at the table.
Chef Tips
- Pour the wine and liqueur in last, through the opening you leave at the top, then seal immediately. Adding them early floods the fold and leaks.
- Cut parchment circles oversized, at least 11 inches across. Cramped packets steam poorly and tear at the folds.
- Serve the packets unopened at the table. The whoosh of orange-wine steam when guests slice in is the whole point.
- Do not open the oven during the 7 minutes. Heat loss drops the steam pressure and leaves the salmon underdone.
Variations
- Swap salmon for arctic char, steelhead, or thick white-fish fillets.
- Replace Grand Marnier with Pernod for an anise-leaning profile.
- Add thin fennel slices to the vegetable layer for extra licorice perfume.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Melt butter and stir in the lemmon juice.
Adjust amount of lemon juice to taste.
Cut two 10 to 11 inch circles from parchment paper.
Slice zucchini and crookneck squash into 4 lateral slices each.
Cut onion into ⅛ inch slices.
Season all with salt, if desired.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat, then coat with non-stick cooking spray and sear both sides of vegetables, but do not sauté them.
On ½ of each parchment circle, layer onion and zuchinni slices.
Generously season salmon fillets with the garlic powder, dill, thyme, rosemary and salt (if desired).
Layer the hooked squash and the green pepper on top.
Fold each parchment circle over and tightly seal by folding edges, leaving enough of an opening to spoon in the following; 4 tablespoons of melted lemmon butter, 2 tablespoons wine, 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier.
Compleatly seal the parchment envelope.
Place in the 500 degree F oven and bake for 7 minutes.
Serve immediately.
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