Super Salmon Parcels Recipes

SUPER SALMON PARCELS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Fill and boil the kettle.
• Place a frying pan over a medium heat and toast the pine nuts for 2 to 3 minutes, or until very lightly golden - keep them moving so they don't burn. Tip into a bowl and set aside.
• Pick the basil leaves, discarding the stalks, and pound in a pestle and mortar. If you don't have a pestle and mortar, very finely chop.
• Peel the garlic and add to the mortar with a pinch of sea salt and the toasted pine nuts - keep pounding until you have a green paste. Alternatively, very finely chop it all together on a large board, then place into a bowl.
• Squeeze in the juice from half a lemon and finely grate in the Parmesan.
• Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and muddle together - you need just enough oil to bind the pesto and get it to an oozy consistency.
• Trim the stalk-ends from the beans and cook in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain.
• Fold just over half a metre of tin foil in half so you have a double layer.
• Place half the hot green beans in the middle of the foil.
• Lay a salmon fillet on top, skin-side down, and spoon over 1 tablespoon of the basil pesto.
• Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Pull the foil edges together and scrunch them up to seal the parcel.
• Repeat steps 8 to 12 to make the remaining parcel, then place them onto a baking tray.
• Bake in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and the beans are tender.
• While the salmon is cooking, refill and boil the kettle. Cut any larger potatoes in half, place in a small pan, just cover with boiling salted water and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return to the pan to keep warm until ready to serve up.
• When the time's up on the salmon, remove the tray from the oven and leave to stand for 1 minute.
• Carefully open each parcel (mind out for the steam!) and cut into each salmon fillet to check they're cooked, then slide onto the plate and serve with the cooked potatoes.
• Cut the remaining lemon into wedges and serve on the side for squeezing over.

TERIYAKI SALMON PARCELS

Steps:

• KIDS: The writing in bold is for you. ADULTS: The rest is for you. Make the sauce and marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy, honey, garlic and mirin and set aside.
• Cut out some squares of foil. Using scissors, cut out 4 squares of foil, each about 30cm square. Brush each piece of foil with a little oil and bring the edges of the foil up a little.
• Fill your parcels. Place a couple of broccoli stems on each one, then sit a salmon fillet on top and scatter over the ginger.
• Spoon over the sauce. Spoon the sauce over each salmon fillet and drizzle with a little sesame oil, if you like.
• Close the parcels. Fold over the edges of the foil together to seal and place the parcels on a baking sheet. Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.
• Cook the parcels. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Get your child to place the parcels in the oven for 15-20 mins, but ensure an adult removes them, then leave to stand for a few mins. Serve each parcel on a plate and let each person open it themselves. Serve with spring onions and sesame seeds for scattering over, and some rice on the side.

HOW TO MAKE PESTO SALMON PHYLLO PARCELS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Lay skin-side down on a cutting board or plate and top each fillet with a tablespoon of pesto, or more to taste, ensuring the entire top of the fillet is evenly covered. Set aside while you prepare the phyllo.
• Lay a sheet of phyllo flat on a work surface and brush with olive oil. Lay another sheet on top, brushing with oil. Repeat process for a total of four sheets, leaving the top of the last sheet dry. Place one of the prepared salmon fillets at the bottom of the stack of phyllo sheets with the pesto side facing up. Roll over once, so the skin side is facing up, then fold over the sides. Brush all over with oil. Continue rolling until the end of the phyllo, then place on the parchment-lined baking sheet with the pesto side facing up and brush the top with oil. Score the top 2 to 3 times to allow steam to escape. Repeat with the remaining salmon and phyllo.
• Bake parcels in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the phyllo is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest a minute or two before serving.

SALMON & LEEK PARCEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place two sheets of baking parchment (large enough to wrap up each salmon fillet) on your work surface.
• Put the leeks in a pan with 6 tbsp water, cover and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 mins until the water has been absorbed and the leeks are almost tender. Stir in the mascarpone, 1 tbsp dill and some seasoning.
• Spoon half the creamy leeks into the middle of one sheet of parchment and place a salmon fillet on top, then repeat to make a second parcel. Sprinkle over the lemon zest with a squeeze of juice, then scatter over the capers and the remaining 1 tsp dill.
• Bring the parchment up over the fish and join the two edges together by folding them over several times down the middle. Do the same with the ends and place the parcels, spaced apart, on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 12-15 mins, depending on how well done you like your fish, then carefully tear open the parcel. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over, baby potatoes and wilted spinach, if you like.

SALMON & LEEK PARCELS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the leeks into a large saucepan with 3 tbsp water and a couple of knobs of butter. Cover, then cook for 10 mins until tender. Remove from the pan, allow to cool, then mix with the crème fraîche and some seasoning.
• To assemble the parcels, brush a sheet of pastry with melted butter, then lay 2 more sheets on top, brushing butter between each layer. Place a salmon fillet in the centre, season, then spoon over half the leek mix. Fold the ends over the top, pull up the sides and scrunch together to enclose. Repeat.
• Brush both the parcels with melted butter. Put onto a lightly greased baking sheet, then cook for 20-25 mins until browned and crisp. Delicious served with a green salad.

SALMON PARCELS

Steps:

• Season the fish with salt.
• Take two phyllo sheets and fold in half. Lay a piece of salmon on the phyllo, take care to tuck any tail piece under the salmon.
• Top each piece of salmon with at tablespoon of the pesto.
• Draw the phyllo up around the salmon and make a "knot" by twisting the phyllo so it stays in place.
• With scissors cut off any excess phyllo from the knot.
• Place each parcel on a non-stick cookie sheet. Refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) until ready to cook.
• Heat your oven to 400°F Drizzle or spray the olive oil over each parcel.
• Cook in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes or until each parcel is golden brown.

SALMON & SPAGHETTI SUPPER IN A PARCEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions and drain. Cut 4 rectangles of baking parchment off a roll, each twice as long as it is wide. Lay them on a work surface. Toss the spaghetti with the grated courgettes. Divide the spaghetti between the pieces of parchment, then divide the cherry tomatoes between each pile.
• If using salmon, slice lengthways, but keep the fillet together. Place on top of the veg and press sideways so the slices move apart a little. If using chicken, halve each breast through the middle horizontally to give four pieces, then cut each into strips and tip a pile of chicken strips onto each pile of spaghetti.
• Heat the oil and fry the garlic for 1 min, then pour a little garlic oil over each pile. Season with black pepper if your children like it. Bring the two longer sides of parchment up to meet in the middle and fold the ends over and over, working down towards the filling, leaving a little room for the steam to expand the parcel. Flatten the seam down and then fold in each end. Use paper clips to hold the folds, if you like. Lift the parcels onto a baking tray and bake for 10-15 mins. The parcels should puff up as they cook.
• Serve each person a puffed parcel in a shallow bowl and snip it open at the table, staying clear of any steam (and removing any paperclips).

HOT SALMON PARCEL

Steps:

• Make the stuffing. Trim the spring onions and shred on the diagonal. Halve the chilli lengthways and scrape out the core and seeds. Cut this and the ginger into needle-thin strips. Crush the garlic.
• Heat the oil in a wok, throw in the onions, chilli, ginger and garlic and stir fry over a medium to high heat for 3-4 minutes until softened. Tip in the creamed coconut and stir until it melts and thickens. Add the prawns and toss until they turn pink all over - about 2-3 minutes. Tip into a bowl, season, stir and cool.
• Prepare the salmon. Pull out any pin bones from the flesh. Scrape the blunt edge of a large knife against the skin from tail to head to remove any scales. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry. With a very sharp knife or scalpel, score through the skin of one fillet in criss-cross diagonal lines.
• Cut a sheet of parchment to fit the base of a roasting tray. Lay the paper on a work surface with one long side facing you. Cut four pieces of string, 30cm in length, and lay vertically at equal intervals on the paper. Put the unscored fillet, skin side down, across the string.
• Spread the stuffing over the fillet, pressing down the prawns. Top with the scored fillet, skin side up. Bring the string round the fish and tie on top - position so you can cut either side to give portions of equal size. (The salmon can be made up to this stage the day before and kept, covered, in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before roasting.)
• Put the empty roasting tray in the oven. Preheat the oven to fan 220C/ conventional 240C/ gas 9. Lift the salmon on the paper onto the tray. Roast for 15-20 minutes. Open one of the central slashes with a knife to see if the flesh is cooked. Heat the lime or lemon juice, honey and soy sauce in a small pan. Put the salmon on a serving dish and splash over a little sauce. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chilli and spring onion and serve with the remaining sauce.

LEEKY SALMON IN A PARCEL

Steps:

• Season the salmon fillets all over. Slice the leeks really thinly. Cut two 40cm square sheets of greaseproof paper and put a fillet in the middle of each sheet.
• Top each fillet with leeks and peas, and 2 tbsp of crème fraîche. Sprinkle with tarragon and salt and pepper.
• Make up parcels with the paper and stand them on a microwave-proof plate or tray. Microwave on full power for 5 minutes. Put the contents of the parcels on two plates and top each serving with a spoonful of crème fraîche. Serve with new potatoes.