Published March 1, 1999.
When we wanted to find an effortless salmon recipe that would exploit the fish’s high oil content and natural moistness while also creating a crisp, even, deeply golden crust, we turned to pan-searing. We preheated the pan to make sure it was hot and used a scant teaspoon of canola or vegetable oil, turning down the heat once the salmon was in the pan. For our pan-seared salmon recipe, we cooked the salmon in the pan until it was almost cooked through, then allowed residual heat to finish cooking the fish off heat.
Some folks savor crisp salmon skin as a treat, while others simply won’t eat it. For those who do not fancy the skin, butterflying the salmon fillets is an excellent idea. This is not recommended for skin lovers, because the skin is never exposed to the heat, so it never crisps. For those who want to avoid the skin, however, the advantage is that both sides of the flesh get a good sear, so there is twice as much of the brown, flavorful crust. To butterfly salmon fillets, slice down the middle of each fillet, cutting down to but not through the skin. Next, fold the halves away from each other so that each side lies flat. The skin should act like a hinge. Finally, the buitterflied fillet should look like a salmon steak. (See illustrations below). Serve salmon with a sweet and sour chutney (see related recipe), a fresh salsa, an herb-spiked vinaigrette, or squirt of lemon or lime.
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