Salmon and Asparagus in Papillote with Sauce Verte | Salmon and Asparagus in Parchment with Green Sauce
Fresh salmon and asparagus are steamed together in parchment paper with olive oil, sliced lemon and dill. Here, I'm serving it with a "Sauce Verte" -- a green sauce -- that uses fresh parsley, basil, dill and thyme with punchy capers and cured anchovies and all their umami goodness.
Equipment
- parchment paper (substitute foil)
- blender or food processor
- baking sheet
Ingredients
Salmon En Papillote
- 4 6- 6 to 8 ounce salmon fillets, skin on
- ¾ pound thin asparagus, touch ends removed
- 2 lemons, sliced thin
- dill sprigs
- extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Sauce Verte
- 5 anchovy fillets
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- zest of one lemon
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
- ¼ cup loosely chopped fresh dill
- ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1 shallot, coarsely chopped
- juice of half a lemon
- ¼ cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Salmon En Papillote
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cut 4 pieces of parchment into 12”x 15” rectangles roughly. Fold then in half, creasing, and cut each into a large oval shape.
- Divide asparagus evenly and align in a row lengthwise adjacent to the center crease of each piece of parchment. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Top with a piece of salmon, skin side down. Drizzle salmon lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a sprig or two of dill, followed by three lemon slices and another piece of dill. Drizzle with a little more olive oil.
- Make the packets: Fold the parchment over the salmon/asparagus to enclose contents. Fold and crimp the edges to form a sealed pouch.
- Place packets on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
- To serve, carefully open the packets. Serve with a side of sauce verte (recipe follows) and Creamy Scandinavian Cucumbers.
- Grilling instructions: While parchment paper is typically safe up to temperatures of 425°F, it is recommended that you use foil instead of parchment when grilling. Grill the packets over indirect heat for about 15 minutes.
Sauce Verte
- In the bowl of food processor or blender, combine the first five ingredients until a paste-like (this can also be done with a mortar in a small bowl).
- Add the next five ingredients, and pulse until herbs are minced and combined. Add the lemon juice and pulse a few more times.
- Add the olive oil and mayonnaise (or yogurt) and blend until incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to a bowl to serve.