Literally I can pick the fish filet up with a pair of tongs because it’s so un-stuck to the pan.Īlso, pick a pan that’s fairly close in size to the piece of fish, then preheat for about 3-5 minutes (3 minutes for gas stoves, 5 for electric). If the pan is hot enough, the fish won’t stick anyway. Some people like to use nonstick pans for searing fish, but I don’t. You just don’t get the same sear. What kind of skillet should you use for searing salmon?įor the best sear, I recommend an uncoated pan. Now is when you want to start preheating a skillet for searing the salmon. Regardless of whether or not you rinse the fish, dry the salmon very well with paper towels. Water is the enemy of a good crisp sear. If needed, give the salmon a quick rinse to remove the scales, or just brush them off.
Pan searing salmon skin#
We eat salmon every week, so I bought a dedicated fish scaler, but you can also use a sharp chef’s knife to scrape off the scales…just beware that they will fly all over the place, so wear an apron.Īfter a few scrapes, voila, no more scales. You can tell they’re gone because the skin has a netting pattern to it: Oftentimes the fishmonger will de-scale the fish before filleting (mine does), but they often miss spots.
Pan searing salmon how to#
How to Make Pan Seared Salmon:įirst we need to make sure the skin is ready for searing and remove the scales. My quickest and easiest salmon recipe is this Baked Salmon, but this crispy salmon only takes a little bit more effort and you get to enjoy the skin. The skin is robustly crunchy, even crispier than a potato chip! I’m going to show you how to get super crispy skin with perfectly cooked salmon in your own kitchen, and it’s really so much easier than you could imagine. The first time I tried salmon like this was at a restaurant many years ago, and I remember thinking, is it okay to eat the skin? I grew up eating salmon, but we always scraped the fish from the skin, then threw the skin in the trash.īut the moment I dug in and crunched down on the most wonderfully crispy shard of savoriness, I became hooked forever.
It’s truly the perfect contrast to a big fat piece of tender salmon. It’s very easy to make at home!Ī moist, juicy piece of salmon with a robustly crispy skin is like icing on a cake. Pan Seared Salmon is the ultimate way to enjoy salmon just like they make it at the restaurant, with a golden crispy skin and a moist interior.