Yield: 2 Servings

Scott Nowell

Circa 1993: I don’t make this often, but I’ve been doing it for a long time. This is a delicious fish and vegetable dish and you can vary the veg for new versions. I have included a simple dish of Sliced Potatoes with Chives below. Both recipes double or triple easily. You’ll get extra practice crimping parchment.  I will get some photos together soon showing the crimping process.

• 26-8 oz boneless skinless salmon fillets
• 1leek
• 2carrots
• 1medium zucchini
• ½lb snow pea pods
• dry white wine
• vegetable oil
• salt & black pepper
• Parchment (baking paper)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.

Cut the base from the leeks and cut the leeks in the green white area. Discard the dark green leaves or save for stock. The remaining leeks should be about four inches long. Cut the leeks vertically in half. Separate the leaves and wash under running water to remove any grit or dirt. Re-stack the leaves and cut in half to make stacks two inches long. Julienne the leaks to form slender match sticks. All the vegetables should be cut to the same size.

Peel the carrots and cut into two inch lengths. Cut lengthwise and julienne to form match sticks the same size as the leeks.

Slice 1/8 to 1/4 inch planks from zucchini lengthwise. Julienne on the diagonal.

Remove the vein from the spine of the pea pods and trim the ends. Julienne the pea pods on a diagonal to the same width as the carrots and leaks.

Cut about a ten inch square of parchment and fold in half to make a 5 by 10 inch rectangle. Fold the open sides over to make about a half inch seam. Open the parchment again and brush a light coating of oil around the edges. This will help seal in the steam when the packages cook. For a fancier presentation, cut the paper into a ten by twenty inch rectangle, fold over to form a 10 by 10 square and cut into a heart shape. Be sure to leave one edge uncut.

In the center of one side of the parchment make a bed of the vegetables, using one quarter of each per package. Place one of the salmon portions on top of each vegetable bed. Pour a tablespoon of white wine over the salmon. Close the other side of the paper over the salmon and re-fold the packages. Fold the paper a couple of times and crimp the edges well to insure a tight seal.

Place the completed papillotes in a shallow sided baking sheet and bake for approximately fifteen minutes.

The papillotes will be very hot when taken from the over. They can be placed on individual plates and opened at the tables or opened in the kitchen and the contents placed on the plates. In either case, you might want to cut a small slit in the edge of each papillote and tip the package to let the excess liquid drain before serving.

Serve with Sliced Potatoes with Chives and a white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.

Sliced Potatoes with Chives

Yield: 4 Servings

• 4medium potatoes
• water
• 1tsp salt
• 2TBS butter
• 1TBS minced chives

Peel and slice potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place in 1 1/2 quart sauce pan. Rinse a couple of times to remove excess starch, then add enough water to the pan to cover by 1/2 inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt to pan.

Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to strong simmer. Cook until tender, approximately 12 minutes.

Drain potatoes but keep in sauce pan. Add butter and chives to pan and cover for a few minutes. Carefully stir or swirl to coat and place in serving dish.