We’re particularly fond of food that comes in packets and parcels. It's healthy, flavors seem to go further, and you get to unwrap lunch like it’s a Christmas present. Best of all, there are no pots and pans to wash.
This quick, easy, Mediterranean-ish salmon is one of those recipes that allow the flavors of the produce to shine through, except it tastes so much better than those recipes usually do. It tastes light and bright, and feels like pure energy going in—while that statement makes us sound like crazy yoga people who've stood on their heads one too many times, it's actually true of this salmon.
We usually eat this (or rather, inhale it) with a green salad and a cheesy, runny polenta, but we’ve served it with garlic, mashed potatoes, and other sides, too.
This recipe makes two packets/parcels, feeding two people.
Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets, each portioned for one person (skin can be on or removed, according to preference)
24 cherry tomatoes, halved
12 pitted Kalamata olives, halved
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
10-12 large basil leaves, shredded (more if the leaves are little)
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine (chicken stock or water may be substituted but wine is better)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Place the cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, and basil in a bowl. (Keep a little basil aside to tuck under the salmon.) Season the mixture well with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and white wine. Mix well. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the ingredients to get to know each other.
Place each salmon fillet, skin side down, on a piece of aluminum foil (the piece of foil should be large enough to fold over itself to make a parcel). Season the salmon well with salt and pepper. Tuck the reserved basil under the fillet. Add half the cherry tomato/olive/basil mixture, along with the accumulated liquid, to each salmon portion.
Make up the packets by folding the foil over itself, sealing the edges, making a pillow shape. Don’t crumple the foil around the contents. The salmon needs room to steam inside the parcel.
Place the packets on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
Unwrap the parcels (with care), and serve hot.
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