This came in just under the gun (19:47). I highly recommend it as a quick, effortless dinner after a hard day at work when you want a good meal but don't want to put any more effort than you have to into it. The salmon is simple but the red curry paste added to the broccoli adds a depth of flavor to the dish that somehow also lets the fish shine.
This is an excellent way to cook salmon, even if you are not pressed for time - the salmon (to my taste, anyway) is always perfectly cooked and, because the parchment paper keeps all the steam and juices in with the fish, the end result will be moist and flavorful. If you like well done salmon, you may want to program an additional 30 second cooking time. An added bonus of cooking salmon this way is that the skin just peels right off the fillet at the end of the cooking time: one less thing to think about when you are tired!
And, if you were truly tired, you could make the salmon and a side salad in under 10 minutes. Need I blab on...
4 salmon fillets
2 heads of broccoli
2 Tbsps olive oil
2 Tbsps red curry paste (the jarred kind is fine for this dish)
2 Tbsps orange juice
2 Tbsps butter
2 lemons
1 Tbsp walnut oil (optional)
Salt
Preheat the oven to 500,
While the oven is preheating, cut the broccoli into rough florets of as same a size as you can manage (reserve the stems for soup). Line a baking tray with foil and tip all pf the florets onto it in a single layer.
Pour yourself a glass of wine; have a few sips. Then, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, the red curry paste and the orange juice. Drizzle this over the broccoli florets and place the baking tray in the oven on the middle rack. Set your timer for 11 minutes and forget about the broccoli until then.
While your broccoli is cooking, make a green salad and get the salmon ready.
Place the salmon fillets onto each of 4 pieces of parchment paper about 3 times the size of the piece of fish. Top each piece of fish with a couple of thin slices of lemon. Dot with 1/4 of the butter and add salt.
Bring two sides of the parchment paper together over the salmon and fold over several times to create a tight fold. Fold the 2 other edges under the fish and place all 4 fish packages together on a microwave safe plate in the microwave.
As soon as your broccoli timer goes off, program your microwave to cook your fish for 4 minutes on high. Stir your broccoli and turn the oven off (leaving the broccoli in it) until the fish has cooked.
As soon as your microwave pings, remove the plate and gingerly open all of the parcels to allow the steam to escape and to avoid overcooking the fish.
To serve, place some of the broccoli on a plate, lift a piece of salmon right out of the parchment paper leaving the skin behind and place it on top of the broccoli. Drizzle with a quarter of the walnut oil (if using) and spritz with juice from the remaining lemon.
