SautÉed Wild Salmon With Brown Butter Cucumbers Recipes

PAN-FRIED WILD SALMON

Steps:

• Rinse the salmon fillets and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels; season with sea salt.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• Gently lay the salmon into the hot oil with the skin side facing up and cook until the the flesh side is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes; turn and continue cooking until the skin side is slightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Remove the salmon from the skillet, allowing any oil to drain from the fish back into the pan.
• Remove the skin from the salmon fillets; fry the skin in the oil remaining in the skillet until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the crispy skin with the salmon.

BROWN-BUTTER SALMON WITH SCALLIONS AND LEMON

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pat salmon dry, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest of the lemon in wide strips. Cut the lemon into wedges for serving.
• In a large, ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium. When it's foaming, add the scallions and the lemon peel, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns brown and smells nutty, 3 to 6 minutes. (If you're using a light-colored pan, you'll see the browned bits in the skillet. If you're using a dark-colored pan, look for dark spots on the white parts of the scallions; those are browned bits of butter and a sign to remove the skillet from heat.)
• Immediately remove from heat, and add ⅓ cup of water. Stir to combine. Lay the salmon, skin side down (if there's skin), into the sauce. Cover the skillet and bake until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, or slightly longer if you're cooking a single, large piece. (You'll know the salmon is done when the fish flakes or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 120 degrees.)
• Eat the salmon with a spoonful of sauce and a squeeze of the lemon.

SALMON ROASTED IN BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the butter and half the herb in a roasting pan just large enough to fit the salmon and place it in the oven. Heat about 5 minutes, until the butter melts and the herb begins to sizzle.
• Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up. Roast 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, then peel the skin off. (If the skin does not lift right off, cook 2 minutes longer.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the fillet over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper again.
• Roast 3 to 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the degree of doneness you prefer. Cut into serving portions, spoon a little of the butter over each and garnish with the remaining herb. Serve with lemon wedges.

ROASTED SALMON WITH GINGER-LIME BUTTER

Steps:

• Lay the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the ginger-lime butter: In a small bowl, combine softened butter, ginger, lime zest, lemon zest and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir well to combine.
• Transfer salmon, uncovered, to the oven to cook for about 8 minutes. Check the salmon once or twice as it cooks. Depending on the thickness of the fish, it should be fully cooked when little white juices appear on the surface - moist and yielding with big flakes when probed. It may take 10 minutes for thick fillets.
• As the salmon cooks, put 2 tablespoons ginger-lime butter in a wide deep skillet or large pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, add spinach and a pinch of salt. Put on the lid and turn heat to medium-high. (You may need to add the spinach in batches.) After 2 minutes, remove lid and stir spinach to help it wilt. When all spinach is wilted, turn off the heat.
• Transfer salmon to a platter or divide among individual plates. Smear the remaining ginger-lime butter on the fish. Surround with wilted spinach and lime wedges, and top with scallions.