Foil-Packet Salmon and Vegetables
Salmon and cut vegetables in a foil packet on the coals. One packet per person, nothing to wash.
- calories
- 470
- weight
- 13 oz
- cal / oz
- 36
- protein
- 30 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 35 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Salmon fillets | 4 fillets | skin on, kept cold in the cooler |
|---|---|---|
| Zucchini | 1 | |
| Yellow bell pepper | 1 | |
| Red onion | 2 | |
| Broccoli | 1 head | peel the stalk and slice it, it cooks the same as the crowns |
| Neutral oil | 4 tbsp | in a dropper bottle |
| Lemon | 1/2 | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Build a fire and let it burn down to coals, or get a grill grate hot over medium.
- Cut all the vegetables to about the same size. Uneven pieces mean some are raw when the rest are done.
- Tear four arm-length sheets of heavy-duty foil. Oil the center of each, then pile on vegetables and lay a fillet on top.
- Pour the rest of the oil over, season with salt and pepper, and fold the foil into a sealed packet with room inside for steam.
- Set the packets on the coals or grate for about 20 minutes. Rotate once. The fish is done when it flakes.
- Open carefully, the steam is hot. Squeeze lemon over each packet before eating.
This is an oven tray bake moved onto a fire. The foil packet does what the roasting pan did: it holds the oil and the moisture the vegetables give off, so the salmon steams and roasts at the same time instead of drying out over open heat. Coals are the right heat source here, not flame. Flame chars the foil before the broccoli stems soften.
The two things that decide whether this works are uniform cuts and a real seal. Broccoli stalk is dense, so peel it and slice it thin or it stays raw next to the zucchini. Lemon goes on at the end, off the heat, because acid cooked for twenty minutes tastes flat. This one needs a cooler, so it is a first-night meal, not a resupply meal.
Packing
Cut the vegetables at home and pack them in one bag. Salmon stays in the coldest part of the cooler, on the ice, not on top of it. Heavy-duty foil only, the thin stuff tears on coals.
Variations
- Swap salmon for firm white fish or chicken thighs, adding ten minutes for chicken.
- No fire: set the packets on a canister stove over low heat with the pot stand, and turn them often so the bottom does not scorch.
- Add a handful of baby potatoes, sliced thin, for a heavier packet.
https://www.matprat.no/oppskrifter/sunn/tray-bake-med-laks