Salmon with Vermouth in Foil

2 Salmon fillets (skinned preferably)

1 lemon

2 mushrooms sliced

Small handful of chopped parsley

1 shot of vermouth

3 potatoes peeled and quartered

A few tiny flecks of butter (about 10g)

A knob of butter and dash of milk for the mash

Salt

Pepper

preparation 5 mins • you cook for 10 mins • total time 30 mins

Serves 2

Watch a 30 second preview of my cook-along video below

If you cannot view the video below, click here to download QuickTime from Apple's website.

This dish shows how versatile fish is and, because it's steamed, it's so healthy. By cooking the salmon in a foil bag, all the flavours from the mushrooms, parsley and vermouth mix together and gently permeate the fish. Just wait until you try the juices that we use to drizzle as a sauce. Simply delicious. This is a two part recipe. In part one we prepare the fish and then put it in the oven. In part two we make the mash and dish up.

A pot to boil the potatoes in

A baking tray and sheet of foil, double length of the tray

Fish slice

Before you start, have all the ingredients ready on your worktop, except for the potatoes which should be next to a pan of salted boiling water on the hob. Put your oven on to preheat at 190c and click here!

Before you start, have the potatoes drained and back in the pan on the hob. Have the milk, butter and masher ready, plus a spoon to stir. Now click here!

Preheat your oven to 190c and put a pan of salted boiling water on the hob for the potatoes. First off you need to put the foil on the baking tray, half on the tray with the extra half hanging over the edge, as in the photo below.

Put a little drizzle (about a teaspoon) or olive oil onto the foil, for the salmon to sit on. Place the salmon fillets side by side on the foil and then go and give your hands a quick wash. Now we just need to add the other ingredients one after another. Start with the mushrooms and layer them over the salmon as in the photo below.

Next squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the salmon and sprinkle with parsley. Add the shot of vermouth and a few flecks of butter, give it a pinch of salt and pepper and you're ready to seal the bag. To do this, fold the extra half of foil back over the salmon so that the two ends meet. With the two ends now together, fold them back over together creating a fold of about 1 inch. Press down along the length of the fold and then fold over again to double up. Repeat this process with both sides so that you end up with the whole thing nicely sealed.

Pop the tray in the oven for 20 minutes and put the potatoes into the boiling water. Leave the potatoes to boil for 15/16 minutes until they are soft enough to mash, then drain them and put them back into the pan on the hob on a very low heat.

Give the potatoes a good mash until you've got rid of the lumps, then add the butter and stir it in. Once the butter has been incorporated into the potatoes, add a dash of milk and stir. Only add a little milk at a time until you get the creamy consistency you require. By adding small amounts, you can always add more to get it looser, you can't take it out if you put too much in to start.

Take your mash over to the work surface and then take your tray out of the oven and you're ready to serve. Carefully pierce the foil and cut it open. Be very careful when doing this as the foil will be full of steam and you could burn yourself. Try blowing gently whilst cutting it open to disperse the steam. Hopefully the smell should be fantastic and all that's left to do is serve.

To serve, put a dollop of mash into the middle of a plate, and using a fish slice, carefully place the salmon fillet on top. Take a spoon and drizzle some of the juices from the foil around and on top of the salmon and you're done!

I hope that you enjoy it.

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