Salmon en Papilotte

Those of you who know me know what a Francophile I am. That's a fancy way of saying I love all things French. Could I have just said that? Yeah, but it's way more fun to say it fancy. =)

A papilotte is any food that's folded in a pouch or packet and then cooked. If you've ever wrapped anything in foil and thrown it on the grill, you've made a papilotte. This particular recipe was kindly donated by my boyfriend, who makes this on the grill. I make thess in the oven and add a maple mustard sauce. You can put just about anything on salmon, which is probably why it's my favorite fish. Pesto, fresh herbs & lemon, Italian seasoning, sun dried tomatoes, even the right kind of barbecue sauce takes a plain piece of salmon to a whole 'nother level. I like to keep things simple, since I truly enjoy the taste of salmon, so I try not to drown it with too much added flavor. Baking it with onions and apples gives it some oomph without overwhelming it, and the maple mustard sauce gives it a nice tangy kick. Kick, oomph... sounds like a MMA fight in here... ;)



Salmon en Papilotte

2 6oz salmon fillets
Salt & pepper to taste
2 onions, sliced
2 apples, sliced
1/4 c Dijon mustard
2 T maple syrup

I really like these wild-caught Alaskan fillets from Whole Foods. They're in the frozen fish section, and only cost $11 for 2 6oz fillets. Quite a deal since the fresh salmon can cost up to $18 a pound... 

 

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2) Rinse & pat the salmon dry with paper towels.
3) Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper into roughly four times the size of each fillet, then tear off 2 sheets of aluminum foil a few inches larger than the parchment sheets. Lay the parchment on top of the foil.

4) Salt and pepper each side of the fillets to your taste. Place the fillets on the parchment.

5) Whisk the maple syrup and mustard together in a small bowl. Do your best not to lick the whisk. This is serious awesome sauce.

6) Scatter the apples & onions on and around the salmon fillets. Drizzle with the awesome sauce.

7) Wrap the parchment paper around the apples, onions, & salmon, sealing as best as you can. The easiest way is to bring the long sides of the paper together, fold one side over the other, and keep rolling until it lays flat on the fish. Bring the sides down and under the fish, and tuck them under. Do the same thing with the aluminum foil, sealing the ends tightly.

8) Put the packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Put 'em in the oven for 25 minutes.

9) Be careful when opening the packets; a lot of steam will escape, and I'd hate to hear anyone got blasted in the face because I didn't warn you. So don't lean over it while you're opening it, k? =)

Tips:
- The salmon should be opaque and flake easily when it's done, If it's not, put it back in the oven with the packet open for a few minutes until it does.
- There should be some liquid in the packets. If that ain't your bag, drain the liquid out by pinching the ends of the foil together and draining it. This should get as much of it out as possible while keeping the fish, apples, and onions in the packet. Just know that some of the sauce could go with it, so be prepared for that.

Let me know what you think in the comments. Bon appetite! ={) <--- French smiley