Salmon Parcels, Potato Salad & Lemon Rice

Searing the skin first and then finishing the fish in a loose foil parcel gets you both things: crisp skin and gently cooked flesh that doesn't dry out. The potato salad gets dressed while the potatoes are still warm, which is the whole trick to it.

Salmon parcels

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 lemon — half sliced, half for juice
• 4 salad tomatoes — sliced
• Butter, oil, salt

Potato salad

• 500 g baby potatoes
• 3 tbsp mayo
• 1 tbsp soured cream
• 1 tsp Dijon
• Spring onions — sliced

Lemon rice

• Rice for two
• Lemon zest and juice, salt

Method

1. Potatoes. Into cold salted water, boil 15–18 minutes until a knife slides out clean. Drain, halve.

2. Dress them warm. Mix mayo, soured cream, Dijon, spring onion, salt and a squeeze of lemon. Fold through the potatoes while still warm — they drink the dressing.

3. Sear the skin. Oven to 200°C. Dry the salmon, salt it, sear skin-down in a hot pan for 2–3 minutes until the skin crisps. Don't cook it through.

4. Build the parcels. On foil: salmon skin-down, sliced tomato, lemon slices, a knob of butter, pinch of salt. Seal loosely so the steam has room.

5. Bake. 8–10 minutes.

6. Lemon rice. Rice through with lemon zest, a squeeze of juice and a good pinch of salt.