Pan-Fried Salmon Fillet (with Crispy Skin)

Pan fried Salmon fillet with couscous, coleslaw, green beans and home-grown cherry tomatoes

Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which is the type of "brain food" you want in your diet. Cooking it is really easy. You can steam it, or pan fry it (which I love).

With a little pressure, use your fingers to run over the fillet. Remove the bones carefully by using a pair of kitchen tweezers (not the ones you pluck your eyebrows with!). Alternatively, use a pair of kitchen shears/scissors to gently hold the bone and pull it out, without cutting the bone. (This piece from Woolworths is bone-free :))

Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat. When it is hot, add some butter (or olive oil if you prefer). When the butter has melted, place the Salmon fillet skin side down. The timing required to cook the fish depends on the thickness of the fillet. The good thing with Salmon is that you are able to see the fish changes colour on its side - from uncooked orange to cooked pale orange. When 3/4 of the fish's colour has changed to pale orange, use a pair of tongs to turn the fish (it will be easier if you use a non-stick pan. Otherwise, use a spatula to turn the fish but be careful as the skin of the fillet may be broken in the process). Fry it for 1 minute at most (30 seconds is probably enough). Remove the fillet and rest it on a plate.

You may not realise that Salmon (and other fish like Tuna) only need to be 'half-cooked'. You do not want the fish to be overcooked (it does not taste nice). You want the inside of the fish to remain orange when you cut into it. The exterior of the fish will look pale orange. The fish continues to cook even though you remove it from the pan and so you need to rest it a bit... kinda like eating a medium-rare steak.

Another way of cooking Salmon is to put the pan with the Salmon into an oven after half the fish has turned pale orange. However, please ensure that the fry pan you use is able to be used in an oven. I was lazy and hence only cooked it in the frying pan.

I love this because most of the Salmon skin crisps up and I love the sound of the crunch when I cut or bite into it. Salmon is my favourite fish and I reckon I could eat it all day. As you may already know, Salmon is not cheap compared with other fish. Whenever it comes down to around A$25/kg, I will buy a piece or 2 (U.P. ~A$30/kg). Salmon cutlets are cheaper and cost around A$24 U.P. If I feel the pinch, I will pop by to Yuen's fish market and I can get Salmon fillets for A$23/kg (without skin) or A$18/kg for the cutlets. If you really love your Salmon, you can buy the whole fish and get your seafood supplier or fish monger to clean and slice it into fillets and cutlets (you can use its bones to cook soup). I am certain it works out to be cheaper. I reckon an average size whole Salmon is around 3-4kg and you can get it for about A$12-13/kg.

Some more info about Salmon from a friend who is a Vet - apparently most Salmon is farmed (solely reared to supply to consumers) which is not as healthy as wild-caught ones (those which live in the ocean). Unless it says "wild-caught", they are usually farmed ones (which is cheaper). As for me, I have no preference so long as I get to eat it! :)