Grilled Salmon in Foil

I taught my first yoga class since Miya was born. The studio had been holding my spot and I finally felt ready — or ready enough, which is probably the same thing when you have a newborn. Brian watched Miya for the hour and a half, armed with a bottle of pumped milk and the expression of a man who has been given instructions he is determined to follow exactly.

Being back on the mat felt like coming home to a house I had forgotten I owned. My body is different — softer in the middle, tighter in the shoulders from hunching over while nursing, weaker in places that used to be strong. But the practice held. The breath held. I guided the class through a gentle flow and my voice sounded like mine again, which was unexpected. I had been speaking in the soft, urgent whisper of new motherhood for two months. Hearing myself speak at full volume, with intention, in a room full of adults — it was like remembering I existed as a person, not just as Miya's mother.

Afterward, one of my regulars — a woman named Claire who has been coming to my classes for three years — said, "You look different." I said I had had a baby. She said, "No, I mean you look like you have been somewhere far away and just came back." Claire has always been perceptive in a way that is slightly unsettling. She is right, though. I have been far away. I am coming back.

I made onigiri tonight — Fumiko's recipe, which is barely a recipe. Rice, salt, whatever filling you have. I used salmon from a can because that is what was in the pantry. Fumiko would disapprove of canned salmon but would approve of the technique: wet hands, gentle pressure, triangular shape, nori wrapper. I made six of them and ate three standing at the counter and saved three for Brian, who ate them while watching TV and said, "These are good," which is the Brian equivalent of a Michelin review.

Miya is two months old tomorrow. She is starting to track objects with her eyes, following the cat across the room with an intensity that suggests she is either fascinated or plotting. She weighs ten pounds. She smells like milk and lavender from the baby soap. When I hold her against my chest, her heartbeat is faster than mine, like a small engine running at a higher speed, and I think: slow down, slow down, let me keep you here a little longer.

The onigiri was a Tuesday night, and this salmon is a Thursday — two days later, same kitchen, same tiredness that lives somewhere behind my sternum. But Miya slept for almost four hours straight, and I had ten minutes where my hands were free and the grill was already hot from Brian making burgers the night before. Grilled salmon in foil asks so little of you: season, seal, wait. It is the kind of cooking that feels like permission to rest while dinner handles itself, and when I squeezed the charred lemon over the top and the whole thing smelled like summer, I thought of Fumiko again — how she always said the best meals are the ones that don’t fight you.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds or 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, wild caught if possible
Olive oil, for brushing
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, cumin
8 lemon wedges
Fresh herbs, for garnish (oregano, chives, basil, parsley, tarragon, etc)

Instructions

Preheat the grill. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees).
Prepare the foil packet. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it with olive oil. Pat each piece of salmon dry and place it on the foil. Sprinkle the salmon with the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin (add a few grinds of black pepper if you like). Close the foil and seal it around the salmon.
Grill the salmon. Place the packet directly on the grill grates and cook for 6 minutes. Then carefully open the packet and release the steam. Cook additional 1 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness, until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should read between 125 to 130F when a food thermometer is inserted in the thickest part of the salmon).
Grill the lemons. Meanwhile, grill the lemon wedges directly on the grill grates, cut side down, until blackened. (This doesn’t affect flavor too much, but gives a nice charred look to the lemons.)
Serve. Generously spritz the cooked salmon with the lemon. Top with fresh herbs and serve. Leftovers keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Salmon in Foil — When Simplicity Is the Only Thing That Fits