Salmon, Asparagus, And Shiitakes In Parchment. Listening To Waiters.

Q: What do romantic fish sing to each other?
A: Salmon-chanted evening

Q: Why are fish so smart?
A: They are always in schools

Q: What is dry on the outside, filled with water and blows up buildings?
A: A fish tank

Nothing like a few fish jokes to get things started. :)

There is something about food cooked in parchment that I find so appealing and elegant.

If you want to surprise your family midweek with a meal that looks like it took a lot of effort, give this Salmon, Asparagus and Shiitake dish a try. In less than 30 minutes you’ll have tender, moist fish with steamed vegetables all in individual packets.

And that is no joke.

Salmon, Asparagus, And Shiitakes In Parchment

Ingredients:

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and halved lengthwise if thick
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup water
4 salmon fillets (5 ounces and 1 inch thick each)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400℉.

2. Cut four 12-by-17-inch pieces of parchment. Fold each in half crosswise to make a crease, then unfold and lay flat.

3. Toss mushrooms, asparagus, and onions with oil in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

4. Remove asparagus from mixture and divide evenly among parchment pieces, creating a bed of spears on 1 side of crease. Top each with 1 piece of fish, then with mushroom mixture. Drizzle each serving with 1 tablespoon water. To close, fold parchment pieces over each serving; make small overlapping pleats to seal the open sides and create 4 half-moon-shaped packets.

5. Bake packets on 2 baking sheets 9 minutes. Carefully cut open packets with kitchen shears (steam will be released). Serve fish, asparagus, and mushrooms with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Serves 4

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine