High-protein lemon wild salmon fillets baked in paper (en papillote)

High-protein lemon wild salmon fillets baked in paper: tender wild salmon with courgette, yellow pepper, unwaxed lemon, thyme and olive oil, straight from the oven.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 20 min
• Total time: 30 min
• Calories: 430 kcal per serving
• Protein: 38 g
• Fat: 26 g
• Carbs: 10 g

Ingredients

• 2 wild salmon fillets
• 1 courgette
• 1 unwaxed lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow pepper
• Salt
• Coarse black pepper
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Method

You’ll need: oven · baking tray · chopping board · knife

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Wash and trim the courgette and yellow pepper and cut them into thin strips or slices; cut the unwaxed lemon into thin slices.
2. Cut out pieces of baking paper and arrange the veg in the middle. Season with olive oil, salt, coarse black pepper and fresh thyme.
3. Lay the wild salmon fillets on the veg and top them with lemon slices. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season lightly with salt.
4. Fold the baking paper into tight parcels so the steam stays inside. Put the parcels on a baking tray and cook them in the oven at 200 °C for 15–20 min, until the wild salmon is tender and just cooked through.
5. Let the parcels rest briefly, then open them carefully. Pour the cooking juices over the wild salmon and veg.

Good to know

A dish like this makes no fuss and still tastes of a lot. The salmon stays juicy, the veg soft with a bite, and the lemon brings just the right freshness.

Swaps

Wild salmon fillets → Arctic char fillets (similar protein content, milder flavour, also great en papillote) Courgette → green asparagus (more bite, more fibre, goes really well with lemon and thyme) Yellow pepper → fennel (more aromatic, especially good with fish and lemon) Olive oil → avocado oil (heat-stable, mild in flavour, not a seed oil)

Allergens

The recipe contains fish as an allergen. It's generally well suited to children if you remove the bones carefully, and well-cooked salmon is common during pregnancy; with wild-caught fish, iodine levels can vary depending on where it comes from.

Frequently asked questions

What fatty acids are in wild salmon?

Wild salmon mainly contains long-chain omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA. The amount varies with the fishing ground and season, but in salmon it's always significant.

What does the unwaxed lemon add nutritionally?

Lemon mainly provides vitamin C and various plant compounds from the zest and juice. The exact amounts in the finished dish stay modest, because you only actually eat part of it.

Is yellow pepper as nutritious as red?

Yellow pepper also contains vitamin C and carotenoids, but usually in a slightly different mix from red pepper. The colour mainly shows a different stage of ripeness and a different range of plant pigments.

How mild is courgette?

Courgette is generally considered mild, especially when cooked. With a very sensitive gut, raw pepper tends to be more noticeable than courgette, though this varies from person to person.

Does thyme matter nutritionally, or is it just for flavour?

Thyme contains essential oils and smaller amounts of plant compounds. In the usual kitchen amounts, flavour clearly comes first. It suits salmon.

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