Description
A light and elegant Salmon en Papillote recipe where tender salmon fillets are gently steamed in parchment with lemon and herbs, served with a creamy dill crème fraîche sauce. This quick and healthy meal uses an air fryer for perfect moistness and delicate flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Salmon
- 2 x 120g skinless, boneless salmon fillets
- ½ lemon
- 2 tsp olive oil or butter
- ½ tsp salt per fillet
- 2 lemon slices
Dill Crème Fraîche Sauce
- 50g crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp garlic mayonnaise (regular mayonnaise can be used)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- Dill fronds to garnish
- Salt and lemon juice to taste
Instructions
- Salt the salmon: Sprinkle each salmon fillet evenly with ½ tsp salt and set aside for 20 minutes. This step helps draw out excess water to firm up the fillets. After resting, rinse the fillets under cold water and pat dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.
- Prepare for cooking: Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Cut two 30cm circles of baking parchment. Place one salmon fillet in the centre of each parchment circle. Top each fillet with a lemon slice and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil or place a small knob of butter on top.
- Enclose the salmon: Lift the edges of the parchment and fold them up to meet in the centre, crimping tightly to seal and form parcels that will steam the salmon perfectly inside.
- Cook the salmon: Place the sealed parcels into the preheated air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes until the salmon is tender and cooked through.
- Make the dill crème fraîche: While the salmon cooks, combine crème fraîche, garlic mayonnaise, and chopped dill in a bowl. Season with salt and add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Stir well to combine.
- Serve: Carefully open the salmon parcels to avoid steam burns and scatter fresh dill fronds on top. Serve the salmon alongside the dill crème fraîche sauce for a refreshing and flavorful meal.
Notes
- Be cautious when opening the parchment parcels as hot steam will escape.
- If you don’t have an air fryer, this recipe can be adapted to cook in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 12-15 minutes.
- The resting of salted salmon before cooking is important for texture and moisture control.
- Use fresh dill for the best flavor impact; dried dill will not provide the same freshness.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: Salmon en papillote, salmon recipe, air fryer salmon, dill crème fraîche, healthy salmon, easy seafood dinner
