Today, a recipe for a fish main course: salmon en papillote with asparagus and fava beans.
Spring gifts us with wonderful ingredients, among which are some of my favorites, asparagus and fava beans. Today I present them as an accompaniment to a delicious salmon fillet to create a light and tasty dish perfect for the first Spring dinners when the days lengthen and the air becomes milder. We start eating with the windows open, and we begin to think about swimsuit season, so we choose to eat lighter things.
The combination of salmon and asparagus is a well-established pair, but to spice it up, we have the small and tender fava beans. Cooking en papillote makes this dish truly delightful. The salmon remains moist and not at all dry and tough. We use the tender parts of the asparagus, but don’t throw away the tougher parts as they can be used to make a delicious asparagus risotto.
You can prepare the salmon en papillote with asparagus and fava beans in advance in its packet and then bake it at dinner time, perhaps after serving some asparagus gnocchi.
Now let’s see together, step by step, how to make this recipe.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, All Seasons
Ingredients for Salmon en Papillote with Asparagus and Fava Beans
- 4 fillets salmon (about 1.76 lbs)
- 200 g asparagus (about 7 oz)
- 100 g fava beans (about 3.5 oz)
- 1 lemon
- 2 sprigs cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- to taste fine salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste olive oil
Tools
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Kitchen String
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
Let’s Prepare Salmon en Papillote Together
Take the asparagus, wash them and cut off the tips, then chop the first, softer part of the stalk and set everything aside. Take the fava beans, shell them, and remove the outer skins to prevent bitterness; I found very tender fava beans, so I kept them with the skin.
Take the parchment paper and cut four squares that can hold the salmon with enough space to close. Spread out a sheet of parchment paper, place two slices of lemon at the base, then assemble your packet by adding the salmon fillet, some finely chopped onion, a clove of garlic, a few asparagus tips with a handful of pieces, a little fava beans, and half a sprig of cherry tomatoes. Drizzle a bit of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a grind of pepper.
Close the packet by bringing the two long ends together and tying the short ends like a candy. Repeat for all four fillets, and then place the packets on a baking tray.
Riccia’s Advice
Salmon en papillote with asparagus and fava beans is also delicious made with peas instead of fava beans. It keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days in a sealed container.
If you find large and thus tough asparagus, I recommend peeling the stalks with a vegetable peeler to remove the tough fibers. I found small-diameter asparagus, which I prefer, so I didn’t have to peel them.
