Baking in parchment, en papillote in French, is food tucked inside a sealed packet of parchment and baked until the paper puffs and the edges brown. The glory of this technique is that all the healthful goodness and freshness of the food bakes inside. It is a dramatic presentation, easy to master. Folding the parchment to seal the packets tightly is like easy origami. Practice once with a sheet of parchment and you’ll have it mastered. If working with parchment feels intimidating or you don’t have any on hand, you can use aluminum foil. The folds are a cinch to do with foil, but the presentation isn’t as elegant. If you choose foil and don’t like how it looks, you can unwrap the packets in the kitchen and arrange the salmon and vegetables directly on warmed dinner plates.
Serves 4
4 center-cut salmon fillets, about 5 oz [140 g] each, skin and pin bones removed
Extra-virgin olive oil for rubbing and drizzling
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
11/2 cups [190 g] fresh corn kernels
11/2 cups [230 g] orange or red cherry tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, including green tops, thinly sliced crosswise
1 Tbsp drained brined capers, rinsed and patted dry
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus 4 sprigs
1 large lemon; 1/2 for squeezing, 1/2 sliced into paper-thin rounds
1Remove the salmon from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.
2Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F [230°C]. Have ready a large rimmed baking sheet and four 12-by-16-in [30.5-by-40.5-cm] sheets of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fold each sheet in half to form a 12-by-8-in [30.5-by-20-cm] rectangle. Crease the fold and then spread each sheet back open. Set aside.
3Rub each salmon fillet all over with a little olive oil. Season each fillet on both sides with salt and pepper.
4In a medium bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, green onions, capers, and thyme leaves. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and season with a pinch of salt and a little pepper. (The capers will be salty, so go lightly on the salt.) Stir to combine.
5Arrange the creased parchment on a work surface, positioning each sheet so a long side is facing you. For each packet, place one-fourth of the corn mixture in a mound just below the crease. Place a salmon fillet on top of each mound of vegetables. Using the lemon half, squeeze a little lemon juice over each fillet. Top each fillet with two or three lemon slices, overlapping them, and a thyme sprig.
6Fold the top half of the parchment over the salmon and vegetables to enclose them. To seal each packet, begin at one corner near the creased edge. Fold the edge over to form a small triangle and then move down and make overlapping folds, one on top of the other, all around the edge of the packet to seal it, ending up at the other creased edge. Here, at the last folded edge, twist and tuck the corner under the parchment to secure it closed. Place the packets on the baking sheet.
7Bake until the packets puff up, about 8 minutes for thinner fillets and 10 minutes for thicker ones. (The parchment packets will turn brown around the edges.) The salmon will be cooked through and medium-rare at the center. Bake for 2 minutes longer if you prefer your salmon more well-done.
8Place each packet on a warmed dinner plate. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut an X in the top of each packet, preferably at the table for a more dramatic presentation. Serve immediately.