Mirbeau Recipe: Salmon en Papillote with Jasmine Rice Timbale

Make this delicious and easy-to-prepare salmon recipe from Mirbeau Inn and Spa in Skaneateles, New York, to get your dose of omega-3s, which help the body fight off disease (perfect for flu season!) and have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind).

With a handful of basic but flavorful vegetables, this recipe is so quick and simple, you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes. Plus, steaming the salmon en papillote (in parchment paper) makes for a rustically classic presentation. We made this dish last night and loved the way the veggies absorbed the nutty flavors of the sesame oil and some savory oils from the fish.

Also, opt for brown jasmine rice if you can find it—it’s been my regular substitution for white jasmine rice since the day I found it. And, looking for a wine pairing? Mirbeau, promoting local wines, suggests a crisp and dry or semi-dry Finger Lakes Riesling.

Salmon Shopping Tips: Look for wild-caught salmon or clearly labeled U.S.-farmed freshwater coho salmon, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch says. Why, you ask?

“It generally takes three pounds of wild fish to grow one pound of farmed salmon,” says the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website. “The environmental impact of salmon farming is still increasing as global production continues to rise. Most salmon are farmed in open pens and cages in coastal waters. Waste from these farms is released directly into the ocean. Parasites and diseases from farmed salmon can spread to wild fish swimming near the farms and escaping farmed salmon can harm wild populations. As a result, all salmon farmed in ocean net pens get an ‘Avoid’ ranking.”

So for now, avoid farmed Atlantic salmon; the Environmental Defense Fund has also issued a health advisory for farmed salmon due to high levels of PCBs.

Here’s to healthy and responsible eating!

Salmon en Papillote (in Parchment) With Jasmine Rice Timbale (Serves one)

Ingredients:

1 7-ounce piece of good quality, fresh, wild-caught salmon
One cup total mixed:
•  Shaved Napa or savoy cabbage
•  Julienned red pepper
•  Slivered red onions or chopped shallots
•  Shredded carrots
•  Chopped green onions
Jasmine rice, steamed with diced red peppers added just before plating
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted lightly in a non-stick pan
1 tsp sesame oil
Parchment paper
Chopped or whole-picked cilantro leaves for fish garnish
Arugula for rice garnish (optional)
Good-quality soy sauce (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut or purchase parchment paper at approximately 16×24 in size, and pre-heat oven 400° F
2. Toss vegetables with one tsp sesame oil, a little canola oil, and a pinch of salt. Set nearly all of the vegetable mixture in center of paper, and place salmon skin-side down on top of vegetables, sprinkle flesh of the fish with sesame seeds and just a few sprigs of the vegetables. Fold sides of the parchment together as you would a paper bag lunch and crimp a little in the middle so the paper doesn’t unfurl.
3. Bake fish en papillote on a sheet tray for about 15-18 minutes for a medium to medium-well center. (Note: I baked mine for 15 minutes and would have liked to check it at the 12- or 13-minute mark for a juicier fillet.)
4. Allow to rest for three minutes while you arrange the jasmine rice and its garnish on the plate(s).
5. Use a pancake turner to move the paper bag and contents to the plate(s). Be careful not to pierce the paper!
6. Use scissors to cut top away once it is plated; fold back the paper, creating a bowl of sorts to keep the juices intact.
7. Garnish fish with cilantro and season the meal with soy sauce at the table if desired.

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