Salmon en Papillote with Lime Butter Sauce

I did this recipe with my sister in mind, she’s not a fan of fish at all, she came to stay with me for a couple of weeks, just until she found a place of her own. Although she was staying with us and I knew she wasn’t a fan, I wasn’t going to change my dinner plans just because she doesn’t like the dreaded fish. She enjoyed it though, so not a bad job on the salmon really – this is one of my favourite ways to cook the fish. It pretty much guarantees a perfectly cooked piece of fish. Sometimes I wonder whether our dislike to certain foods, has more to do with the types of food and cooking methods used whilst we were growing up, and therefore just being put off. This is another reason I insist my children eat everything on their plate and I make them try several different recipes with the same ingredient, in an attempt to get them to open their palettes. That said, I won’t cook a recipe more than once if they really didn’t like it. I am diligent and I want to teach my kids good table manners by eating what’s in front of them without complaint, but neither am I cruel. Once is a fair deal I think. 

 

Salmon en Papillote with Lime Butter Sauce

75g/3oz unsalted butter

2 Limes, juice and grated rind (each separate)

4 salmon steaks

Salt and pepper

4 spring onions, trimmed

Pinch of sugar

3tbsp dry sherry

3tbsp double cream

1. Set your oven to 200˚C/400˚F, cut four rectangles out of baking paper, big enough to encase the salmon steaks. Put the salmon steaks on half of each of the pieces of baking paper, season each one with salt and pepper, sprinkle the rind and juice over the top, fold the over half of the baking paper, folding in the edges a little to seal them in, place the parcels to one side on a baking sheet.
2. Make the sauce by chopping up the spring onion, melt about 15g/ ½ oz of butter in a small saucepan. Soften the spring onions in the butter, add the juice from the other lime, add the sugar and sherry increase the heat and bring to a boil the liquid is reduced by half.
3. Place the papillote in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, the parcels will puff up.
4. Pour the cream into the sauce, allow to bubble for a couple of seconds, slowly whisk in the rest of the butter. Remove the pan off the heat every now and again. This will help prevent the sauce from splitting, the sauce will thicken and become smooth, season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve the salmon in their parcels and the sauce separately.
    
   New potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper and little butter with seasonal vegetables are a good accompaniment.