- a baking dish
- aluminum foil
- a timer
- oil
- Dijon mustard
- fresh parsley (optional)
- a salmon fillet
- salt and pepper
- breadcrumbs
From the store to the kitchen to the table: We outline the steps that get you from something raw to something cooked using simple ingredients, free of measurements and complicated techniques. A method that you can have in your back pocket and whip out whenever you like. We call it recipe-free cooking.
Illustrations by Bill Russell
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (Ovens take at least 20 minutes to warm up.)
Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Grease the foil with a little oil—the type of oil isn’t that important. Spread it around with a paper towel.
Mix together two parts Dijon mustard to one part oil in a small bowl. (For a pound of fish, we used about one tablespoon of mustard.) If you have any fresh parsley, chop some and add it to the mixture.
Put the salmon in the baking dish skin side down. If the fillet doesn’t fit, cut it in half and lay the two fillets side by side. It’s OK to remove the skin, but it will come off more easily after you cook the fish.
Season the fish generously with salt and pepper, then spread the Dijon mixture all over the top (skinless side). Pat store-bought or homemade breadcrumbs evenly over the fish, so it’s completely covered.
Put the fish in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, check the fish. When it is ready, the center should spring back to the touch and the breadcrumbs should be golden brown. If it’s not ready, return the fish to the oven. One pound will average about 25 minutes total, but a very thin cut may take much less time, and a thicker cut might take a little more.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (Ovens take at least 20 minutes to warm up.)
Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Grease the foil with a little oil—the type of oil isn’t that important. Spread it around with a paper towel.
Mix together two parts Dijon mustard to one part oil in a small bowl. (For a pound of fish, we used about one tablespoon of mustard.) If you have any fresh parsley, chop some and add it to the mixture.
Put the salmon in the baking dish skin side down. If the fillet doesn’t fit, cut it in half and lay the two fillets side by side. It’s OK to remove the skin, but it will come off more easily after you cook the fish.
Season the fish generously with salt and pepper, then spread the Dijon mixture all over the top (skinless side). Pat store-bought or homemade breadcrumbs evenly over the fish, so it’s completely covered.
Put the fish in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, check the fish. When it is ready, the center should spring back to the touch and the breadcrumbs should be golden brown. If it’s not ready, return the fish to the oven. One pound will average about 25 minutes total, but a very thin cut may take much less time, and a thicker cut might take a little more.