Citrusy Salmon Packets with Zoodles and Cilantro Chutney
These salmon packets are a complete brain healthy meal all in a handy parchment envelope. They come together quickly, can be made ahead of time, and are a beautiful way to serve salmon and veggies. Serve with generous dollops of Cilantro Chutney (recipe linked above.)
Servings Prep Time
4people 15minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
10minutes 20minutes
Servings Prep Time
4people 15minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
10minutes 20minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  2. Place the salmon on a rimmed baking dish, skin side down, and sprinkle with a half teaspoon of the salt. In a small bowl, stir together orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, orange zest, and lemon zest. Pour the juices over the salmon and flip over a few times to coat. Cover the dish and marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  3. While the salmon marinates, make the Cilantro Chutney.
  4. Place the barrel-shaped part of the butternut squash (the stem end) in the spiralizer. (Save the bulbous, round end for another dish.) Spiralize using the “spaghetti” setting. Place in a bowl. Trim the ends from the zucchini and cut it in half. Spiralize using the same setting. Add to the butternut squash noodles and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the leek, and the garlic. Season with black pepper and an additional pinch of salt.
  5. To assemble the packets, lay out 4 15-inch by 24-inch pieces of parchment paper, or one for each serving. Fold each sheet in half, forming a 15 x 12-inch rectangle. Use scissors to cut out a half-moon or heart shape as big as the paper allows. Unfold the half moon of paper, brush half with olive oil, and divide zoodle mixture evenly between each portion. Place fish on top of each noodle mound, skin side down. Layer blood orange slices over the surface of each salmon filet and drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the marinade.
  6. Fold the other half of parchment over and line up the edges. Starting at the top, fold over about ½-inch of the edge, pressing down to make a crisp crease. Continue to work your way around the edge of the packet, making overlapping folds (like pleats), always pressing firmly and creasing the edge so the folds hold. Twist the tip of the heart or moon to finish. If necessary, make a second fold anyplace that doesn’t appear tightly sealed.
  7. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook immediately or refrigerate for later; bringing to room temperature before baking.
  8. Bake for 7-8 minutes for medium rare. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your salmon. Allow a few minutes more if your filets are more than 1-inch thick.
  9. To serve, slit open the packets and transfer to a plate or serve in the packets. Top each serving with a generous spoonful of Cilantro Chutney.
Recipe Notes
  • For best results, choose salmon filets that are all the same size, or ask your fishmonger to weigh and cut them the same.
  • If you don’t have parchment paper, use aluminum foil. This gives you the added option of checking for doneness before serving.
  • Seek out organic citrus for this dish. Scrub the fruit well and dry with a kitchen towel. Zest, then cut each in half. Juice.
  • Whenever possible, seek out wild-caught salmon from Alaska for the healthiest fat profile.
  • If you can’t find blood oranges, use any other seedless orange, such as navel or Cara Cara. Or try kumquats, sliced thin, to layer over the fish for a beautiful scale-like presentation
  • If you don’t have a spiralizer, look for spiralized vegetables at the grocery store. Or use a vegetable peeler to cut long noodle-like strips.
  • This cooking method works well with other types of flaky fish, such as black cod and halibut. Adjust cooking times as needed.
  • To simplify the marinade, omit the lime juice.

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