Simple Asian-style Salmon (cooked in paper)

Recipe 2 of my new weekly(ish) series, Eat Right on Monday Night.

CALORIES PER SERVING: 204 (SERVES 4 )

Cooking fish in a paper parcel (en papillote as it’s known in classical cooking) is genius from a flavour perspective and it prevents any lingering fishy pong in the kitchen. I would urge you to buy wild salmon, yes, it’s a bit more expensive but the flavour and texture are superior to the ubiquitous flabby farmed salmon that line the supermarket shelves. To up the health ante even more – we’ve already got lots of lean protein and omega-3 here – the marinade contains 5 plant foods for good gut health and a whole bunch of micronutrients to boot.

PREP TIME: 10 mins

COOKING TIME: 10 mins

INGREDIENTS:

For the marinade:

• 1 small bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped

• 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped

• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 large green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Also:

• 4 x wild salmon fillets (approx 110g each)

• 1-2 tsp sesame oil

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 200˚C fan.

Place all the marinade ingredients - 1 small bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped, 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped, 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped, 1 large green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice -in a food processor or blender and whizz for ten seconds or so to combine to a salsa-like consistency.

Place a large piece of baking parchment over a baking tray.

Pour 1-2 tsp sesame oil in the centre of the paper and spread over the area where the salmon fillets will sit with a pastry brush.

Place 4 wild salmon fillets, skin side down, on the oiled parchment, then spoon the marinade over the top, being sure to spread evenly over the fillets.

Bring the sides of the parchment together, folding over in the middle to seal, and scrunching up the ends to ensure no liquid can escape.

Place in the oven to roast for 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet, until the flesh is opaque. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a minute before opening up the parcel and placing each fillet on a pre-warmed plate.

Drizzle any marinade remaining in the parcel over the top.

I like serving this with green vegetables, pak choy, or broccoli drizzled with sesame oil and wholegrain basmati rice.

For more nutritional information about salmon, click here