“One of my favorite parts of a beautifully cooked piece of salmon is actually the crispy skin,” King Estate Executive Chef Stevie Provencio says. Here are a few tips for achieving that enticing crust.
Scale: Make sure all the scales have been removed from the salmon skin. You can check by running your knife along the skin of the salmon against the grain of the scales.
Dry: The salmon must be completely dry. After you ensure there is no moisture on the skin, you can then oil your fish lightly all over, then season it with salt and white pepper.
Heat: Make sure your pan is nice and hot enough from the start. Before you add any oil to the pan, sprinkle a few droplets of water into the pan. If the droplets dance around the pan, it is hot.
Cook: As soon as you add your salmon to a lightly oiled hot pan, make sure to press and hold down on the flesh side of the salmon, ensuring the skin is 100% in contact with the pan. If it is not, your skin will tighten, buckle, and steam underneath. Sear on all sides.
Once you have a nice crispy skin, turn the flame down on your stove to prevent burning the skin. I cook my salmon about 70% skin side down. You will want to flip the salmon and finish cooking flesh side down to an internal temperature of 135 to 140 degrees for medium.
Serve: Present the salmon with the skin side up; avoid resting the fish for any period of time with the skin down to avoid steaming the fish. Steaming is crispy skin’s kryptonite.
If you start with a good piece of fish and cook it properly, you don’t need much in the way of seasoning. Simply garnish with lemon and herbs and the salmon will do the rest. If you prefer you can dress it up a bit. Here Chef Stevie has served his seared salmon with wilted spinach, mushroom cream sauce, pickled shiitake, fondant potatoes and chive oil. Pair with a delicious King Estate Pinot Noir like those found here: https://kingestate.com/shop/?varietal[]=pinot-noir
