Salmon en Papillote with Vegetables

For 2 servings

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 courgette, julienned
• 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh dill or parsley, to serve

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C), a hot oven is important here, it creates enough steam inside the parcel quickly to cook the fish evenly.

2. 2

   Tear off two large sheets of baking paper, roughly 40cm each, big enough to fully wrap one portion of fish and vegetables with plenty of room to spare for folding, being too tight with the paper makes sealing harder.

3. 3

   Lay each sheet flat on a work surface and place a small pile of carrot, courgette and red pepper in the centre of each one, these thin vegetable strips cook at roughly the same rate as the fish, which is why julienning them matters rather than leaving them in large chunks.

4. 4

   Sit a salmon fillet on top of the vegetables on each parcel.

5. 5

   Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice evenly over each portion, scatter over the lemon zest and garlic slices, and season with salt and pepper. Be generous with the seasoning here, since the parcel traps the flavours in rather than letting them cook away.

6. 6

   To seal each parcel properly, bring the two long edges of the paper up and over the fish so they meet above it, then fold them together downward two or three times to create a tight seam along the top, like folding the top of a paper bag. Then twist or fold the two open ends tightly underneath the parcel, so it is fully enclosed and no steam can escape from any side. It does not need to look neat or professional, it just needs to be sealed all the way around, gaps will let the steam escape and the fish will dry out rather than steam.

7. 7

   Place both parcels on a baking tray and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The parcels will visibly puff up like a balloon partway through cooking, this is a good sign, it means steam is building up properly inside and doing its job.

8. 8

   To check if it is done, carefully open one parcel using a knife or scissors to cut along the top seam, steam will escape suddenly when you do this, so keep your face and hands well clear and open it away from you. Check the salmon flakes easily when pressed with a fork and the vegetables are tender with a little bite left.

9. 9

   Scatter with fresh dill or parsley and serve straight from the opened parcel on the plate, or carefully transfer everything to a plate if you prefer.