Thursday, December 3, 2009

Salmone al Cartoccio

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Need to detox from the Thanksgiving holiday and ahead of the onslaught of rich foods in the next few weeks? This one’s for you. It’s simple to prepare, elegant enough for company, healthy and flavorful to boot. I used salmon, but you could use nearly any fish – halibut or cod would be great here. For the bed of veggies, I used what I had on hand – carrots, parsnips, celery, leeks and radicchio. But if you’re on the way to the market, get some snow peas, asparagus, zucchini or any number of other veggies that cook up quickly once they’re sliced.

Start by taking the vegetables and cutting them into julienne strips or small pieces. Place in a mixing bowl. In addition to the veggies, I added some chopped parsley, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, some salt and pepper and a clove of minced garlic. Swish it all in a bowl.

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Next take a piece of parchment paper, cut it in a sort of loosely-shaped heart and put it on a cookie sheet:

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Lay the vegetables inside the parchment:

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Place the fish on top of the veggies, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, then top with a slice of lemon:

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Start at one end and crimp the edges by folding them over on each other:

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Before you finish crimping,  pour in some white wine – maybe a couple of tablespoons worth:

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Finish crimping tightly and put in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. It could be longer for a thicker piece of fish, or it could be shorter if the fish is not so thick.

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This is what it looks like fresh from the oven – just a little browning of the parchment:

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Cut open the parchment – careful of the steam - and eat:

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Salmone al Cartoccio

(salmon in parchment)

printable recipe here

salmon – about 6 ounces per serving

2 T. olive oil

vegetables – carrots, parsnips, leeks, celery garlic, parsley or whatever you like

minced garlic, one clove

salt, pepper

more olive oil to drizzle over fish

sliced lemon

4 T. white wine for two parcels

Slice the vegetables thinly and mix with the olive oil, parsley and garlic in a bowl. Place vegetables in the parchment paper and put fish on top. Drizzle fish with more olive oil, salt and pepper and top with a lemon slice. Crimp edges, leaving a small opening to pour in a couple of tablespoons of white wine for each parcel. Finish crimping and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 15 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. 

22 comments:

  1. you always seem to find a way to motivate me - I love this and it is something I have always wanted to try.

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  2. I am losing weight just looking at those packages.
    I love new ways to prepare salmon and those veggies make the dish!

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  3. Che buono il tuo cartoccio con salmone verdurine, una bella idea per le festività che stanno arrivando.
    Ciao Daniela.

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  4. The colors are lovely in this dish and it is a perfect way to prepare salmon. So easy...I love it.

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  5. This looks lovely Linda...
    I love baking fish in parchment...
    I do not do it often enough!

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  6. I was just craving seafood after all this turkey! Thanks for the great idea.

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  7. I'm making your potato pizza for dinner tomorrow, but I think I might make your beautiful salmon for dinner tonight. I'll call it the week of cooking from Ciao Chow Linda.

    Laura

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  8. I've always wanted to try cooking fish in parchment. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  9. Thanks Linda! This is a wonderful, healthy meal to have in this season of too many rich indulgences!

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  10. I haven't made this in years, now you've got me inspired because I love your nice colorful mix of vegetables - thank you!

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  11. Just what I need, a lovely fresh recipe..thank you . Good to eat light and fresh especially before Christmas!

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  12. I just made salmon last night because I was craving something light and healthy. I will try your recipe next time. The fresh veggies look really delicious and the salmon looks perfectly cooked!

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  13. Oh, man, does this look delicious! We love fish here, and this is a really delicious way to cook it. Easy too! Thanks for this recipe.

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  14. yum! I certainly need a little detox and a light meal like this looks perfect!

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  15. I just love salmon, and this recipe will surely be one I'll try at once, thanks.

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  16. Mouth-watering. Will be making this. My husband especially adores his salmon and always looking for new ways to prepare it. How wonderful to make something refreshingly healthy be also extraordinarily good!

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  17. Linda, you sealed the packettes like a pro and the salmon is cooked perfectly (as evidenced by when the white fats are visible).

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  18. Oh that looks beautiful! I love to make salmon in parchment, but you know what? I've never seen a more beautiful finished dish than yours.

    Very nice! I love your blog. My friend, another Linda (How to Cook a Wolf) recommended yours to me, and I'm so glad she did. I look forward to visiting often.

    I hope you have a lovely weekend.

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  19. Linda, thanks for stopping by my blog. I loved your story about visiting the places your father was during the war. If you do decide to bring him here, please let me know--there are people in Belgium who take care of any GIs who come back--meet them at the airport, take them wherever they want to go, house them, feed them, whatever they need will be done for them. I hope that he can make this trip. If you come again with or without him, let me know--I'd love to meet you.

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  20. I love salmon cooked in parchment like this! Your mix of veggies looks fantastic.

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