Crispy Skin Pan Fried Salmon- Quick and Easy Recipe

I adore salmon but don't eat it as often as I used to.  I guess you could say I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to salmon or you could say I'm just downright picky.  Farmed raised and wild caught are not the same in my brain.  I prefer wild caught which also means that the price tag attached to it can be a little much for my food budget.  Farm raised runs about half of the wild caught pricetag of at least $12.99 a pound, often higher.

That's why we actually consider salmon to be a treat in our house.  In turn, that means cooking it in one of the most tasty ways I know how.  Pan frying the salmon and turning that beautiful silver skin crispy as possible.  The flavor and texture of crispy salmon skin is fantastic and if you have never had it, you should really try this recipe.

Not only is it downright delicious, it's actually easy and surprisingly fast.  Fish can always be cooked quickly when you need a quick meal.  This particular salmon dish takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish.  Now that IS quick for fresh food.

Prep time: 5 minutes     Cook time: 8 to 10 minutes     Yields:  2 servings

Something to watch out for when you are working with fresh salmon:

Salmon has small bones in it that I call pin bones.  I'm not sure what the technical name is for these small bones but any time you purchase a fresh salmon fillet, you are going to want to check for these little bones.  Sometimes the butcher has removed all of them but sometimes they may miss one or two so you will want to pull them out.  That will usually require either tweezers or pliers.  They won't kill anyone if you miss one but they are not a pleasant thing to find in your mouth when you are eating your salmon.

Little "pin" bones that were in the salmon.

Ingredients for Crispy Skin Pan Fried Salmon

• 1, 8oz. skin on salmon fillet
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to your taste

How to Put it all Together

Place your salmon on your meat cutting board skin side up.

Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut scores into the salmon every 1/2 inch to 1 inch that are approximately 1/4" to 1/2" deep.  Do not cut all the way through the fish.  This scoring keeps the salmon skin from curling up and also gives you more surface area for seasoning.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper and the dried rosemary.  Be sure to get some of the seasoning inside the scores that you cut into the fish.  It will taste fantastic when it's done.

Heat the olive oil and butter in either a cast iron skillet or a heavy bottomed frying pan.  Your stove should be set on medium high heat.

Once the olive oil and butter are hot, place your salmon in the pan skin side down.  You should hear a bit of sizzling when the fish hits the oil.  Season the other side with salt, pepper and rosemary to your liking.  Remember not to go too overboard with the dried rosemary because that herb can go from pleasant to annoying really quick if you use too much.

Now here's the hard part... don't touch it.  Set your timer for four minutes and walk away.  This is the key to getting that crispy skin.  After four minutes, take a peek at the underside of the fish and if you think it needs to be darker, leave it for another minute.

Once the time is up and you are satisfied with the way your salmon skin looks, turn it over and cook the other side for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet.

After that amount of time, your salmon will be done.  The skin will be crispy and buttery.  The inside will be moist and flavorful from the rosemary.  You'll send me flowers because I shared this wonderful salmon recipe with you and you are wondering how you ever ate salmon any other way for your entire life.  Trust me, I know that feeling.  :)

This fish goes well with almost any side.  Rice, potatoes, fresh vegetables, asparagus... the opportunities are endless to make that perfect salmon dinner.  I served it with smashed potatoes, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and homemade wheat bread and it was a fantastic dinner that I will hopefully be making and enjoying again very soon.