Baked Salmon Boats With Potatoes or Fennel

Similar to salmon en papillote, these Salmon Boats contain everything you need for a single meal. Each salmon boat includes a salmon fillet with thinly sliced potatoes or fennel and green beans, along with a tangy orange-flavored sauce. This meal is perfect with the fennel if you are eating a low-carb diet or with the potatoes for a more filling lunch or dinner.

To make the salmon boats, you first make little parchment packages by folding the parchment paper and tying each end so that the middle is like a pocket or boat. Then, you cut the salmon into individual portions before slice each fillet down their centres to open them up. After that, you assemble the packages by layering blanched thinly sliced potatoes or fennel with green onions, cooked green beans, salt, and an oil emulsion of olive oil, garlic, orange juice, mustard, and soy sauce. Once baked in the oven, you will have a healthy meal of flaky salmon with a delicious savory and sweet glaze.

What are Salmon Boats?

These salmon boats are basically salmon fillets and vegetables that are baked in parchment paper that is shaped like boats. Sliced potatoes or fennel gets layered with green onions, green beans, and salmon in parchment that is shaped as boats before they are brushed with a flavorful oil mixture of olive oil, orange juice, mustard, and soy sauce. The soy sauce adds an umami taste to the sauce while the orange juice adds sweetness and tanginess.

While you could bake all of the ingredients in a baking dish, baking them in parchment boats allows you to pre-portion them. The packets are also a unique and attractive way to serve your salmon, potatoes, and vegetables.

Pro Tips

• Pre-cook the potatoes and/or fennel and green beans to ensure that they cook through when they are roasted with the salmon, as the salmon will cook more quickly.
• Before slicing the salmon into fillets, check the flesh for pin bones and remove them as needed.
• Feel free to trim any fattier portions from the salmon if desired.
• If you don’t have orange juice on hand, you can use lemon instead.
• You will know that the salmon is cooked through when it easily flakes with a fork and is opaque.
• Thoroughly whisk the emulsion to ensure the ingredients are combined into a homogenous mixture.

What to Serve with Salmon Boats?

These salmon boats include your protein, potatoes, and vegetables, and can make a light meal on its own. However, if you would like to round it out to make it a more full meal, you could serve it with rice pilaf or a tossed green salad before serving.

Can I Make Salmon Boats With Another Type of Fish?

Yes, you definitely could! If you would prefer another type of fish, firm-fleshed white fish such as cod or halibut would work well in this recipe.

How Can I Make the Potatoes Very Thin?

For the thinnest potato slices, you can slice them on a mandoline. Alternatively, if you have a food processor that has an attachment to thinly slice vegetables, you could use that to slice the potatoes as well.

Can I Use Other Vegetables in These Salmon Boats?

Yes, you could! The beauty of a recipe like this is that you can use up vegetables that you already have on hand. Feel free to add julienne carrots, sliced bell peppers, blanched asparagus, and more in these salmon boats.

How to Store Salmon Boats

Since salmon doesn’t reheat very well, it is best to eat it right away. However, if you do have leftovers, you can place them in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, you can re-warm them in either microwave or the oven before you serve them.

How to Make Salmon Boats

Create parchment paper boats by folding parchment paper on the two long sides and tying the short sides together with twine. Open the parchment at the centres so they are boats.

Cut the salmon in portions. Slice down the middle of each salmon fillet to open them up.

Place thinly sliced potatoes or fennel in the bottom of each boat. Top them with the onions, beans, and salmon. Season the salmon with the salt.

To make the oil emulsion, in a bowl, whisk the olive oil with the garlic, salt, orange juice, mustard, and soy sauce. Brush it onto the salmon. Bake the salmon in a 350 F/180 C oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve the salmon boats immediately!