Brown Paper Packages Not Tied Up With String

The Hubs and I need more fish in our diet. I don't dispute the idea, it's just that I've got some issues. For one thing, we don't have a super efficient vent-fan over our stove and I can't stand the lingering scent of yesterday's fish dinner clinging to the interior of our house... and don't even think about coming near my cast iron pans with that fishy fillet.

But still, we need more fish in our diet. My normal solution to this predicament would be to fill our dietary seafood needs at a restaurant. Our budget doesn't currently allow that option however. Enter one of my favorite things... fish cooked en papillote*. It's one of those magical preparation methods that look so very fancy, yet are unbelievably simple. And clean up is, in a word (my favorite word), effortless. Do I love this salmon recipe because it's so tasty, or because it's so tidy? Not sure. Maybe I'd better make it again just to see.

Salmon in Parchment with Curried Yogurt Sauce from the Quick Weeknight Meals Recipe Contest 2009 at The Kitchn

My Notes:  Made this with my sis while she was up visiting (read about it here). We sliced up some zucchini and laid the fish on top of it in each packet. It cooked together perfectly. We all agreed, that this fish was delish! The yogurt curry sauce was a bit spicy for us, so I'd probably just use a pinch or two of the cayenne next time. This was one of those dishes that I just felt would be great and it turned out as yummy in my tummy as it was in my brain. I love it when that happens.

Here are some other fish and veg dishes using this same cooking method...

• Thai Fish with Black Rice from Domino Magazine. Easy and exotic.
• Slow-Cooking Asparagus in Paper Packets at the NYT
• Red Snapper or Other Fillets in Packages. How To Cook Everything (Bittman, 1998), pg 284.
• Salmon with Sorrel and Asparagus en Papillote from French In A Flash at Serious Eats
• Baked Salmon with tomatoes, onions and mushrooms (in foil) at allrecipes.com
  

*Pronounced: "on paw-PEE-yoht". A French cooking term that basically means "in paper", where the meat and/or vegetables are sealed in parchment paper packets in order to retain moisture while baking, in effect steaming the food in the oven. You can use foil instead of the parchment paper, but saying "en papier d'aluminium" doesn't have quite the same panache. Best to just say "... in foil" if you go that route.
Making sense of sustainable seafood:  The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch seafood recommendations online guide, pocket-sized printable or free iPhone app.