Pan- Fried Salmon

“Pan-fried Salmon” is one of the best ways to eat salmon, wouldn’t you agree?

If you follow me on social media you would know I love creating recipes which are healthy, easy and packed with good nutrition.

A month ago I and Asmita a fellow talented blogger ran a campaign for #fiveinfive recipes and one of the recipes I created for that was this simple but delicious “Pan-fried Salmon”.

I served this Salmon with grilled orange flavoured carrots and green peas and sweet potatoes sauce. It was a delicious combination with all the nutrients, flavours and healthy goodness.

The first time I made Pan-fried Salmon was in CIA in my last class before the internship, and I learnt a little secret about the best crispy skin on this fish from our MIT or A Sous Chef if you will. Our sous chef for the class was this very talented chef, a student who didn’t suffer fools gladly, he was strict but diligent and knew fish wasn’t my strongest forte. He knew I excelled in flavour combinations, pairing spices and making sauces so he made me in charge of the fish station for 3 days in a row. I have to admit I learnt a lot in those 3 days and I came out strong and confident.

Getting back to this dish, even now when I make Pan-fried Salmon I hear him yelling (like a Drill Sergeant ? ) and every single time it comes out just perfect with the best crispy skin. To make this fish more exciting I marinated it in some cracking flavours like kaffir lime leaves, fennel seeds, trust me it is a delicious combination.

So this is how you make this delicious dish!

Ingredients:

• 4 salmon fillets
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp lime juice
• ½ kaffir lime leaf chopped
• 1 or to taste chilli
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry salmon
• 1 tsp butter for carrots
• 12 small thin carrots peeled
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest
• ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

For salmon: In a small blender add in the coriande, lime leaves, chilli, coriander and fennel seeds. Make a coarse paste and mix salt, lime juice in it. Marinate the salmon with this mixture for 30 minutes. Keep it in the fridge till cooking. 

In a heavy bottomed non stick or steel pan, heat 1 tsp butter and add in the carrots, don’t move them for 5 minutes. 

Turn the carrots, add in the orange juice, zest, spices and salt. Keep the heat on high and move them for about 30 seconds and turn the roasted side up and continue to roast for about 2-3 minutes. Take them out and keep it aside. 

Wipe the pan and add in the oil and place the salmon skin side down, pressed the salmon with a fish spatula for a few seconds. Leave it for 3 minutes and cook another side for about 2 minutes. 

Take the fish out and leave it for 2 minutes, serve warm with any sauce you like with orange glazed carrots. 

Chef tips:

The achieve the crispy skin on salmon, make sure your pan is hot and you have some fat in the pan.

When you place the fish, put the skin-side down and do not touch it and do not move it.

If you want to make a simple sauce this dish goes really well with brown butter, saffron sauce too.

You could make this fish with a simple marination like fennel seeds, black pepper and salt.