Lax i Foliepåse

Lax i foliepåse — salmon in a foil parcel — is one of the most cherished summer cooking traditions in Sweden. Whole salmon portions are wrapped with dill, lemon, and butter, then set directly on the grill grate where they steam and colour in their own fragrant juices. The parcel keeps the fish moist through the steam it generates, making it nearly impossible to overcook, while the char of the grill still sneaks in at the edges.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets, skin on, about 180g (6 oz) each
• 60g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, sliced into thin pats
• 1 lemon, half sliced into thin rounds, half reserved as wedges
• Large bunch fresh dill, half roughly chopped, half kept as whole sprigs
• 2 tbsp (30ml) dry white wine
• 1 tsp (5g) fine salt
• ½ tsp (2g) white pepper
• 4 tbsp (60g) crème fraîche, to serve
• Boiled new potatoes with dill butter, to serve

Instructions

1. Prepare the grill for medium-high direct heat (about 200°C / 400°F).
2. Tear four large sheets of heavy-duty foil. Lay a few dill sprigs in the centre of each sheet as a bed for the fish.
3. Place a salmon fillet skin-side down on the dill. Season with salt and pepper. Top with 2–3 lemon rounds, a few butter pats, a splash of white wine (about 1½ tsp per parcel), and a generous mound of chopped dill.
4. Fold the foil up and over the salmon, crimping the edges tightly to form sealed parcels with a little airspace above the fish.
5. Place parcels on the hot grill. Cook for 12–14 minutes without opening. The fish is done when it flakes easily and the parcels have puffed with steam.
6. Open carefully at the table — the steam is hot. Serve directly from the foil with crème fraîche, lemon wedges, and dill-butter new potatoes.

Cook's Notes: The wine creates internal steam that prevents drying. Keeping the skin on insulates the fish from the grill's direct heat. For oven cooking, use 200°C / 400°F for 15 minutes — equally excellent.