Salmon-Chanted Evening
Photography by James Tran for Edible San Diego
Every dish tells a tale of where we come from, who we love, and how we come together. This dish comes to us from John Beaudry.
“Salmon-Chanted Evening is a play on salmon en papillote. It’s a whole meal of herbs, vegetables, and salmon in a beautiful package. When serving your guests, lay the envelope before them, cut it open, and offer them an herbal facial as the fragrant steam rises and the lemon “scales” on the fish are revealed. It’s a delightful sensory experience. Your guests will swoon. Feel free to substitute other vegetables. The key is to use the freshest, most tender new vegetables. Choose colorful combinations to add to the experience. Blanch any vegetables that take longer to cook.”
Read more about all three 2025 Cook the Cover recipes, chefs, and find expert tips in
» Recipes from the Heart
Food for Cook the Cover generously sponsored by Jimbo’s. A special thank you to MIHO creative event studio for generously hosting the Cook the Cover test kitchen.
SELECTED BY ROCÍO SISO GURRIARAN From MIHO
For Rocío Siso Gurriaran, cooking has always been about love, connection, and the beauty of simplicity. Raised in a small town in northwestern Spain, she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother, who passed down the belief that food is the oldest form of love language. After moving to San Diego in 2001, Gurriaran worked her way through kitchens like Tapenade and Nine-Ten, where she spent over a decade refining her voice.
Originally published in issue 79.
Ingredients
SERVES 4
- 8 small fingerling potatoes, skin on
- 12 haricots verts or green beans
- 11 cherry tomatoes
- 2 Meyer lemons
- 1 pound salmon fillet with skin
- Parchment paper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 fresh basil sprigs, julienned
- 6 tablespoons white wine, divided
Make the salmon
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Blanch the fingerling potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes, one ingredient at a time, to lightly precook in boiling water for 2–5 minutes each. After blanching, plunge into cold water, then pat dry. Set aside.
- Using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice the lemons into very thin rounds that are thick enough to maintain their shape.
- Cut the fillet into four 4-ounce portions, leaving the skin attached for maximum flavor.
- Cut 4 squares of parchment paper large enough to fold over the salmon and veggies. Lay them out on the counter next to each other.
- Turn each piece of paper so that one corner is facing you. Draw an imaginary line between the right and left sides. Place one salmon fillet just below the center line of each piece of paper.
- Lay slices of lemon over each piece of salmon to resemble scales. Salt and pepper to taste. Next, lay the garlic and blanched vegetables around and over the fillet with lemons, keeping it all in a snug heap. Cut butter into small pats and dot over vegetables and fish. Sprinkle with julienned basil, then pour approximately 11⁄2 tablespoons of wine over each fillet.
- Wrap the fillets by turning one of the parchment squares a quarter turn to the left. Fold the right side of the paper over the left side. The points should match up. You may need to snug things over a bit to be able to do this. Grab the point now facing you and fold it towards the top of the package and a little to the left. Continue folding the bottom, moving to the left a little each time so that you end up with a rounded pouch. When you get to the end, fold the last portion under the package to secure it.
- Place the packages on a baking sheet. If they are wrapped tightly, nothing will leak out. Don’t use oil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how well you like your salmon cooked. The packages should be lightly browned. If not, turn on the broiler for a couple of seconds to do so. This is part of the sensory experience!
- Serve: Make sure your guests are seated and ready for the presentation. Place a package on each plate and open the first one for the guest of honor. Just as you cut the package open, ask them to put their face down to experience the herbal facial.
