Fish and Shellfish Recipes - Salmon and Shimeji Parcels Recipe

Ingredients

• 450g/1lb salmon fillet, skinned

• 30ml/2 tbsp sake or dry sherry

• 15ml/1 tbsp shoyu

• about 250g/9oz/3 cups fresh shimeji mushrooms

• 8 fresh shiitake mushrooms

• 2.5cm/1 in carrot

• 2 spring onions (scallions)

• 115g/4oz/1 cup mangetouts (snow peas)

• salt

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Cut the salmon into bite size pieces. Marinate in the sake and shoyu for about 15 minutes, then drain and reserve the marinade. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.

2. Clean the shimeji mushrooms and chop off the hard root Remove and discard the stems from the shiitake. Carve a small white cross in the brown top of each shiitake cap.

3. Slice the carrot very thinly, then cut out 8-12 maple-leaf or flower shapes. Carefully slice the spring onions in half lengthways. Trim the mangetouts.

4. Cut four sheets of foil, each about 29 x 21 cm/11 1/2 x 8 1/2 in wide. Place the long side of one sheet facing towards you. Arrange the salmon and shimeji mushrooms in the centre, then place a spring onion diagonally across them.

5. Put two shiitake on top, three to four mangetouts in a fan shape and then sprinkle with a few carrot leaves. Sprinkle the marinade and a good pinch of salt over the top.

6. Fold the two longer sides of the foil together; then fold the shorter sides to seal. Repeat to make four parcels.

7. Bake the parcels on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes in the middle of the preheated oven. When the foil has expanded into a balloon, the dish is ready to serve.

Note: In this recipe, the vegetables and salmon are wrapped and steamed with sake in their own moisture.