Even though cooking fish with parchment paper is relatively easy, a beginner cook could find it intimidating. There isn’t really a decent way to determine when the seafood is finished because it is covered in paper. The good news is that you will get really close if you use a large, center-cut salmon filet that weighs 8 to 9 ounces and cooks for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 55 mins |
| Servings: | 2 |
| Yield: | 2 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, or more if needed
- 6 small potatoes
- 10 spears asparagus
- 2 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless, center-cut salmon fillets
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Take two pieces of parchment paper, fold in half, and cut a half-circle starting at each crease. They should look similar to a heart-shape when unfolded. Coat each piece of parchment with olive oil on both sides.
- Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus, and cook uncovered until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the asparagus is cold, drain well, and set aside.
- Place 1 salmon fillet, half the asparagus, and half the potatoes in the middle of one side of a prepared parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Fold other half of circle over and seal parchment edge by making overlapping folds around the edge. At the end, fold the last crease in the opposite direction of the rest to ensure it seals. Repeat with the second piece of prepared parchment and remaining ingredients. Place pouches on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting open parchment. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
- I served mine with a very light mustard aioli, which was simply mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and a touch of garlic.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 873 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 115 g |
| Cholesterol | 100 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 16 g |
| Protein | 63 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Sodium | 133 mg |
| Sugars | 7 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Great flavor, had a small piece of salmon and should have cooked a little less.
Great recipe. It has been well received evey time. Sometimes I put in more vegetables, i.e. parsnips, sweet yams, and potatoes. It all works.
I love doing fish this way. You can use any liquid in the packets with any fish or vegetables. You can also throw in herbs for an extra flavor. I love doing tilapia with asparagus and diced onions with green beans. I don’t cook any of it beforehand. Also, I usually use butter instead of an oil and springs of thyme or oregano.
It’s a snap! Healthy and delicious and easy clean up. Who could ask for anything more? Made cod with broccoli and the next time with Brussels sprouts, which I first par boiled.
This was an interesting, if kind of messy, method for cooking salmon. Obviously it was delicious (because Chef John). Along with the salt and pepper, I seasoned with dill. Used a garlic-infused olive oil for the drizzling and added a lemon slice on the salmon. I did make a Dijon mustard aioli with mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic. I wasn’t able to fit all of the of the potatoes and asparagus into the pouch, so I’ll have to keep that in mind for next time, maybe using bigger pieces. I was worried that the seal wasn’t going to hold, but it did!
Loved this salmon recipe. I have been trying to find the best recipe to enhance salmon. My husband and I find salmon to be our go to dinner and this dish was very high on the list. I made the recipe as described, salmon was moist and delicious. The only change in the recipe was that I used fresh green beans which were a perfect pair with the potatoes.
Great recipe, a little time consuming, but delicious.
Soooo yummy!! And soooo easy!! I made a garlic-mustard aioli sauce.
I used string beans for greens. My husband was impressed with the juicy-ness when cooked this way. I will make this again.
I’ve made this several times. It’s very easy and I switch the asparagus for blanched green greens. I make an easy honey mustard garlic aioli to drizzle on the top!
The recipe is very good but needed a little more seasoning. I just added a little blackened seasoning and it was perfect. The concept is sound and open to variation. I will definitely add this to my rotation.
Hands down the best recipe EVER!!! Did everything as stated. The only used Old Bay seasonings and fresh dill. Everyone from Grandma to my son Loved it…..and my son hates salmon!!!! Thank you for another amazing recipe Chef John!!!!!!
I can see the appeal of cooking fish this way but even with added spices I thought it was a little drab. I prefer to pan fry or grill my salmon. The other thing I didn’t care for was that my potatoes were basted in salmon juice so everything just tasted the same. I didn’t have asparagus so only did the potatoes. I might try this method again but without adding the potatoes.
No changes except to add lemon juice before eating. Delicious!
Slightly precooked the potatoes and asparagus in microwave for 90 seconds. Then put all in the packet. Used aluminum foil instead of parchment. Baked 20+ minutes. Only 4 oz fillets Very good Will cook again
This was so fun! Also delicious! I’ve always preferred blackened salmon, but this might be a new favorite. I’ll definitely try this again with varying veggies and herbs.
My daughter and I tried this recipe exactly as written and we LOVE it. I’ve made it several times now.
This recipe is amazing! Although the procedures are so simple, the result is magnificent. It tastes better than most cooked salmon I had in restaurants. The fish is so moist and it absorbs all the flavors of the vegetables and herbs. It’s light and the sauce is incredibly yummy with salmon too!
WoWwwwwwww…best salmon I have ever had, and it is my favorite food, so I eat a lot of it! No need to blanch the asparagus if you have thinner stalks. I topped the salmon with fresh cilantro, garlic, and a zesty pepper blend made by Kroger. The salmon is so buttery and melting that you almost need a spoon to eat it! I opened the bag (which didn’t inflate much for me) and ate the whole meal over the stove. I could NOT help it! Chef John, thank you! You are a GENIUS!
I have 2 boys, 14 and 11. my kids helped cut and oil the paper which made it a nice family activity. We each ate one packet each and were SO VERY FULL. Yes, 2 big ol boys, FULL off one packet, PERFECT middle of the week meal. We each have one more packet to reheat tonight for dinner. I am looking forward to finding out how they hold up to reheating.
This a great technique that will ensure your fish isn’t dried out (provided you don’t overcook it). I’ve also used this method to cook whole fish (cleaned, gutted, stuffed with lemons, herbs, and some white wine in the cavity).