Cook Like A Chef S230 Minutes

Salmon ‘en papillote’ with leeks, fennel and butter sauce

Name: Salmon ‘en papillote’ with leeks, fennel and butter sauce
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 x salmon fillets, skin on; ½ fennel bulb, finely sliced; 1 small leek, chopped into 1 inch batons; 1 shallot, peeled and finely sliced; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced; 200ml white wine; 250ml fish stock; 50ml cream; 50g butter, cold, cubed; 1 tsp cornflour dissolved in; 2 tsp water; Small handful of dill, finely chopped; A few chives, finely sliced; ½ lemon, juice and zest

Mark MoriartyFrom the series · Cook Like A Chef S2

30 min totalServes 2Easy

Time30 min

Serves2

SkillEasy

ShowCook Like A Chef

Method

Preheat oven to 200 C / 180 C fan.

Cut a couple of large piece of parchment paper and scrunch up to make it easier to work with.

Place the leeks, fennel, shallots and garlic into the centre of the paper and add the fish, skin side down, on top of the vegetables.

Bring up the sides slightly and pour the white wine into the parcel then tie up with string to create an air tight parcel - this will ensure your fish and veg steam cook.

Place the parchment parcel on to a tray and cook for 15 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the salmon, peel away the skin and set aside.

Pour the liquid from the parcel into a small saucepan, add the fish stock and cream and bring to the boil, reducing by about half.

Whisk in the cold butter and season with salt then stir in the cornflour slurry and heat gently until slightly thickened.

Add the herbs and lemon zest and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

To serve, divide the veg between 2 plates and top with a salmon fillet. Pour the sauce over the top and grate over a little more lemon zest to finish.

Cook's notes

Scrunch the parchment up before you build the parcel — it's far easier to shape — then tie it genuinely airtight, because the trapped steam is what cooks the fish.
Slice the fennel and leek finely so they're tender in the same 15 minutes as the fish — the fennel brings a subtle sweetness that works beautifully with salmon, and the leeks add softness and body.
When fish is cooked properly it should look moist and delicate — if the salmon flakes easily with a fork, you know it's ready.
Whisk the cold butter into the reduced liquid off a fierce heat so the sauce emulsifies to a glossy finish, then add the cornflour slurry and warm it only gently.
Don't fuss about crisping the skin — it peels away easily once the fish is cooked; this is a soft, steamed fillet by design.

Serve with The leeks and fennel are the vegetable, so all you need alongside is something to soak up the butter sauce — boiled baby potatoes, steamed new potatoes or a hunk of good bread. Finish the same crisp white you cooked with.

Make ahead & storage Best served straight away while the sauce is glossy and the fish just-cooked. The butter sauce doesn't reheat well and tends to split, so make only what you'll eat; poached veg and salmon will keep a day in the fridge if needed.

30 Minutes

Recipe by Mark Moriarty · From the series Cook Like A Chef S2 · Photography © Appetite Media
Published 13 July 2026 · Updated 15 July 2026

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

685kcal

40gprotein

22gcarbs

41gfat

Approximate — calculated from the ingredient list using USDA food data. A guide, not a medical figure.

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