Pan Searing
In pan searing, I believe one of the most important steps is allowing your seafood to come to room (ish) temperature. This will allow for it to cook quicker, and for you not to experience a cool/cold center when cooking to an optimum “medium” doneness. For these tips we’ll be searing skin on Wild Salmon, but the principles are the same for other fish
• Allow your salmon to come to room temperature while you assembly your other supplies for dinner. It’s not too important for it to be exactly the right temp., more that we don’t want to cook it at refrigerator cold!
• Season your salmon (I like it simple, some high quality sea salt and a quick grind of pepper)
• Use the thickest bottomed(and I presume heaviest pan) you own. This will allow the heat to spread evenly so that you don’t create “hot spots”.
• Heat the pan VERY hot… allow it a few minutes! Heat the pan before adding your oil. (Personally I cook my salmon in either a high quality ghee or avocado oil). When adding the oil realize you don’t need a lot, usually a few tablespoons is more than sufficient, we don’t want to “fry” the salmon.
• Place salmon in the very hot pan skin side down. Give light pressure to the steak at this point, it will prevent curling and uneven cooking.
• Cook salmon for about 3-3.5 minutes skin side down and remove from heat, flip onto flesh side and allow to finish the rest of the way off heat. Depending on the thickness of the steak 1-2 minutes is usually perfect.
• Give your salmon a little squeeze, if it just begins to flake, it’s perfect and done!
• Most important step-ENJOY!
