Parchment Baked Salmon
I love baking fish in parchment paper. Besides being healthy, there is something so beautiful about all of the different flavors steaming and marrying together inside the pretty paper package. It is one of the easiest cooking methods I can think of, and it creates the most elegant dish out of simple ingredients. I chose to wrap the salmon filets in very thin, salty prosciutto. This will lie on a bed of trimmed asparagus and peppery arugula. It is a very natural, earthy dish that highlights the fresh ingredients.
My favorite is to serve the parchment baked salmon packages to my guests and let them open the packages themselves, releasing the steam and scents right at the table.
*By the way, I hope you aren’t exhausted with all of my asparagus and salmon dishes lately! ( Salmon with morel mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns and asparagus pesto )
Hopefully you are overjoyed instead and can’t wait to use up some of that asparagus sitting in your fridge! Prosciutto wrapped Salmon with asparagus spears and arugula pesto baked in parchment should be on your table soon!
Parchment Baked Salmon, serves 4
1 lb Salmon, (cut into 4 4 oz portions)
8 slices prosciutto, sliced paper thin
1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed off
½ cup arugula pesto
4 Tbs olive oil
Kosher salt and Black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for serving
Parchment Paper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Prepare the asparagus, by slicing each stalk in half lengthwise. Set aside.
Cut 4 large squares out of parchment paper. Fold them in half diagonally.
Take a large spoonful of arugula pesto and spread it on half of the parchment paper.
Take a quarter of the asparagus spears and place them on top of the arugula pesto. Drizzle the asparagus with 2tsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Wrap the salmon in two slices of prosciutto.
Place the piece of salmon on top of the asparagus, and drizzle the salmon with the remaining tsp of oil.
Fold the other half of the paper down over the salmon and asparagus spears and pesto.
Starting at one end, pinch the paper over itself in small sections until the paper is sealed.
Place the packets on a sheet pan and place in the oven.
Bake the fish for 20 minutes or until tender and still a little translucent in the center. The paper will start to get a little golden around the edges.
Each person can tear open the paper when served, revealing the salmon, asparagus spears and arugula pesto.
Serve with a lemon wedge and enjoy!
Thank you for enlightening me on a new way to cook fish! I had never heard of using parchment paper before, and what a great way to serve! Very sophisticated, and delicious.
What fantastic flavors and a great way to cook them all together. This will definitely be going on my mid-week menu soon, baking in parchment is so convenient.
I know, I think I forgot to mention one of the BEST parts about this dish. There is no cleanup!! You just dump the paper in the trash 🙂
Woo hoo! So healthy. Thanks!
Heather I love fish en papillotes too! Fun to add the prosciutto, nice pairing with the salmon.
This looks so delicious. I rarely cook in parchment paper, I always forget this technique. I need to make this though!
This looks fantastic. How fun! I never thought outside the box of baking on parchment paper! It really looks beyond elegant and delicious.
This is a fantastic way to prepare salmon – both the flavors and the method. I have to try this!
Overjoyed! Love the salmon and asparagus recipes.
I love the flavors you have combined in this recipe! And the presentation – absolutely beautiful. Your photographs are just outstanding!
thanks Lana!! that is so nice of you. My photography is a serious work in progress!
I am so glad I stumbled onto your site. I am looking for some new ways too cook my favorite fish. Thanks! -Savannah
Great Savannah! Thanks so much!
This looks fabulous, and there’s no such thing as too much salmon OR asparagus.
how far in advance can i prepare the salmon in parchment?
I have put together those little packets in the morning many times and then just baked them in the evening. That is one of the things that makes them so great for a crowd!