Recipe: Pan-Seared Salmon

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This recipe is really simple, and really tasty.  It should be in the back pocket of just about any cook.

All you need is a cast iron skillet and some salmon, salt, and pepper.  I like skin-on filets, but you can use skinless salmon filets, or salmon steaks.  Of course, you can always add butter, lemon juice, or herbs on top after cooking if you like.

I used to live on the banks of the Kenai River in Alaska, and there were salmon to be caught darn near 9 months out of the year.  Luckily, I had friends and neighbors who were much better fishermen than I was.

Usually, we'd work out a trade: they did the catching, I broke out the cast iron and did the cooking.

Note: Not sure what type of salmon to buy? Check out my discussion (rant) on salmon varieties.


Ingredients

• Salmon filets (1 per person)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil

Procedure
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat until just smoking, which will take about 5-7 minutes. Add a tablespoon or two of oil, spread it around to cover the entire cooking surface.

Salt and pepper the flesh (non-skin) side of the salmon filets generously.  You want a good teaspoon of kosker salt on each salmon filet, and maybe a half teaspoon of pepper (if you're using skinless filets or steaks, season both sides generously).  Add the salmon to the hot skillet skin side up.

Sear the salmon for 2-3 minutes (until it is browned a bit), and then flip it so it is skin side down.  The skin holds Omega-3 fatty acid-rich grey flesh, and tends to keep the salmon more tender.

Cover the skillet, and cook until a knife slipped between flesh bands reveals light (cooked) flesh through most of the thickness, but dark (not fully cooked) flesh in the middle and bottom of the cut.   This will take roughly 5 minutes (after the flip), but depends a lot on the thickness and starting temperature of the filet.  Check the interior flesh for doneness every minute or so once you've made the flip and two minutes have elapsed.  Salmon goes from raw in the middle to overcooked quickly. If you're using skinless filets or steaks, this happens even more quickly.

As soon as the darker, not fully-cooked (middle-portion) of the filet is nearly gone, pull the salmon and serve immediately.

The fish will keep cooking once removed from heat, and ideally the filet is just starting to cook through in the middle as it is being eaten. Remember, you can always put it back on the stove for a minute if it isn't quite done enough. Once it is over-cooked, you're hosed.

Enjoy!