Salmon in parchment

Salmon and leeks baked in parchment

Adapted from “The Best of Martha Stewart Living: What to Have for Dinner”

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets

1 small leek, washed and thinly sliced, about 1 cup (use white and light green parts)

2 tablespoons white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup chopped fresh herbs

Note: the original recipe called for chervil, which I couldn’t find at this time of year, so I used a mixture of parsley, lemon thyme and some of the tarragon which miraculously volunteered in the same pot as last year

1 teaspoon or more of melted butter for brushing parchment

Method:

Cut two generous sheets of parchment. Make them bigger than you think you need, maybe 18 inches or so. Fold each sheet in half and cut out a heart shape. Place a salmon fillet near the fold and put half the leeks next to it. Drizzle the fillets with the white wine and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with half the herbs.

Brush the edges of the parchment paper with the butter, which will help them stick together. Fold along the fold and seal up edges, starting at one end and crimping well as you go to avoid creating places for steam to escape. Brush the outsides with the remaining melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on salmon thickness.

Rating: Just a step above OK as is. The leeks were nicely flavored by the herbs. The lemon thyme was a bright note; if I didn’t have lemon thyme I think adding lemon zest might be worth a try. In fairness to the recipe, I suspect this is one of those cases in which the quality of the salmon is key. I used Target house brand frozen fillets I had in the freezer in need of using up, and now I’m remembering why they have been lingering down there to begin with. I think this treatment certainly elevated the salmon as much as it could be, but there’s only so much you can do with otherwise lifeless salmon. 

The house brand frozen tilapia and cod are serviceable in recipes, but I’ll skip the salmon from now on even though the fresh kind is a budget buster. It's worth trying the recipe again with good quality salmon, because it's super fast and probably ridiculously healthful.