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Mediterranean Baked Salmon with Olives and Capers

Mediterranean Baked Salmon with Olives and Capers reads umami 6.9, richness 5.9 and salinity 5.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mediterranean main, about 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.3 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.3 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.9 · Richness 5.9 · Salinity 5.6 · Citrus 5.4 · Marine & Briny 4.7 · Sourness 4.6 · Fruity 4.1 · Allium 3.3 · Funk & Ferment 2.8 · Sweetness 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.5 · Bitterness 2.0 · Floral 1.5 · Heat 1.4 · Earthy 1.4 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Nutty 1.2 · Smoke 0.7

What's in it (13)

• salmon fillets — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• extra-virgin olive oil — 41 g
• garlic — 9 g
• grape tomatoes — 473 g
• ripe olives — 109 g
• capers — 30 g
• lemon — 65 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• red chili flakes — 1 g
• dry white wine — 59 g
• parsley — 7 g

Time & effort: about 40 min (25 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 92.1 kcal, 8.9 g protein, 2.6 g fat, 7.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Pat the salmon fillets dry and season both sides with 1/2 tsp of the salt and the pepper; let sit at room temperature 15 minutes while you prep the topping, so the seasoning penetrates and the fish cooks evenly.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed sheet pan with foil.
3. Warm 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute (watch closely so it doesn't brown).
4. Add the cherry tomatoes, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes just begin to soften and burst, 4-5 minutes.
5. Stir in the olives, capers, and white wine; simmer until slightly reduced and glossy, 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
6. Arrange the salmon fillets skin-side down on the sheet pan, brush with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, and top each fillet with a few lemon slices.
7. Spoon the warm tomato-olive mixture evenly over and around the salmon fillets.
8. Roast until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches 125-130°F at the thickest part, 10-12 minutes depending on thickness — pull it while it still looks slightly translucent in the center, since carryover heat finishes it moist rather than dry.
9. Remove from the oven, squeeze the reserved lemon juice over the top, sprinkle with parsley, and serve straight from the pan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Skillet Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles — Italian-American
• Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta — Italian-American
• Lemon Garlic Shrimp Orzo — Mediterranean
• Shrimp Scampi with Linguine — Italian-American
• Marmite Dieppoise — French · Normandy

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.