It might surprise you that even though I’ve been writing about food for over fifteen years…
I’ve only recently become confident in preparing salmon in the oven, mostly because it feels like I use a different method every time I cook it – briefly roasting over high heat to approximate grilling? Roast slowly over low heat for longer? Cook over low and steady fire, then crackle for the last few minutes, as Sarah Ford recommends in her Tropical Pico Blackened Salmon. (That recipe is so good, I made it by the way continuously. Prick it with a fork) and exercise the necessary restraint (read: confidence) not to open and close the oven a thousand times to check for doneness.
I have it written down these days, but if you are a beginner, allow me to introduce you to what is arguably the easiest way to prepare salmon with almost no stress: fry it in butter in a non-stick pan. There’s more to it, but that’s really all you need to know. When I cook salmon like this, I get the perfect paint color every time (see photo) and all anxiety about doneness disappears when you stand next to the fish, control the heat and watch the lines of cooked meat crawl away onto the sides of the fillets.
Here’s how to do it basically:
Place 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a nonstick skillet (or cast iron) over medium-high heat.
Add the skin-on salmon fillets, flesh side down, and cook until the cooked meat line reaches one-third of the way up the sides of the fillets.
Flip the fillets and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes (because the skin is fatty, a lot of the meat will spatter), until the top of the meat feels slightly firm rather than firm to the touch.
Serve salmon with any of the no-cook summer sauces or a dollop of spicy mayo.
Not only is this the easiest way to prepare salmon, it’s also my family’s favorite way to eat it. Last week, while Abby was recovering from wisdom tooth surgery, I fried myself a fish fillet. As she sat dutifully next to me, sipping the gumbo, she looked at my dinner with envy—finally convincing me that it was crispy and tender enough even for someone like her. She is right.
PS Salmon crispy bowls and fish sandwiches I make once a week.
