Fish in parchment
A rich fillet from the fish market — salmon, or local yellowtail — sealed in paper with a spoonful of the jar, lemon, and garlic. It steams in its own juices, and the smell stays in the packet until you cut it open at the table.
About 950 kcal and 60 g protein a serving, depending on the fish
You'll need
- 1 lb salmon or yellowtail fillet, about 1 inch thick, in two pieces
- Ajvar, 2 big spoonfuls
- 1 lemon, half sliced thin
- 1 garlic clove, sliced thin
- Parchment paper
- A big handful of arugula
- Seeds of ½ pomegranate
- 3 Medjool dates, pitted and torn
- Rice: about 1 cup cooked per serving
- Olive oil, chile flakes, and salt
Make it
Tap a step when it's done.
- 400°FHeat the oven. Tear off two sheets of parchment about 15 inches long and fold each in half like a book.
- Salt the fish on both sides. Open each sheet, spread a spoonful of ajvar just beside the fold, and lay a fillet on it. Top with lemon slices, garlic, a pinch of chile flakes, and 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Fold the paper over the fish and crimp the open edges in small, tight, overlapping folds all the way around, so no steam can escape. Set both packets on a sheet pan.
- 12–15 minBake until the packets puff. Inch-thick fillets take about 15 minutes; thinner ones about 10. To check, cut a small slit: the fish should flake at the thickest part (the USDA's safe temperature is 145°F). Salmon goes from silky to dry quickly, so check at 12.
- Meanwhile, toss the arugula, pomegranate, and dates with 1 tbsp olive oil, the juice of the other half lemon, and a pinch of salt.
- FinishSet a packet on rice and cut it open at the table, away from your face — the steam is hot. Spoon the juices over the rice, salad beside it.
Leftovers
Bake both packets and keep the second for lunch. Eat it cold, flaked over rice and arugula with lemon. Don't reheat it — reheated fish is where the smell comes from.
How it works
The sealed packet steams the fish in its own juices and the sauce you put under it, so it cooks gently and quickly and can't dry out. That suits a rich fish best: salmon and yellowtail carry the smoky, sweet jar and the lemon, and the sweet-sour salad beside them cuts the richness. Gentle, short cooking is also what keeps fish from smelling — the smell comes from its fat breaking down with heat and air, there's little of either here, and what there is stays in the paper. Any fish, any thick sauce, the same fold.
Make it your own
- Halibut or white seabass for something leaner and milder; same time.
- Chile-garlic oil instead of ajvar.
- Salted yogurt on the side for something cool.
Checked against
- Mediterranean Fish en Papillote — Food52 — sealed packets at 400°F for 15–18 minutes
- Salmon en Papillote — Food52 — 400°F for 12 minutes, timed to the fillet's thickness
- How to Cook Salmon So It Doesn't Taste Fishy — America's Test Kitchen — cooking fish briefly and gently keeps the smell down
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart — USDA — fish is done at 145°F, or when it's opaque and flakes with a fork
Nutrition estimate, per serving
| Calories | 850–1,050 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 55–60 g |
| Carbohydrates | 85 g |
| Fat | 35–55 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
By fish:
| Calories | Protein | Fat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local yellowtail | 900 kcal | 60 g | 35 g |
| Wild salmon | 850–900 kcal | 55 g | 35–40 g |
| Farmed salmon | 1,050 kcal | 55 g | 55 g |
A serving: One packet with 1 cup cooked rice and half the salad.
Not included: Nothing beyond the 1 cup of rice.
Estimated from standard nutrition data for each ingredient in the amounts above, then rounded. Fish, brands, and portions vary, so read these as a guide, not a measurement.