Simple Cast Iron Salmon Recipes

CAST IRON SKILLET SEARED SALMON

Steps:

• Pat fillets dry with a paper towel and set in a baking dish, skin-side down. Sprinkle with garlic-pepper seasoning and dill. Turn fillets over and generously rub salt all over the skin only. Cover baking dish and set on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Reduce heat to medium-high and add butter. As soon as butter melts, add fillets, skin-side down. Cover the skillet, and cook until fish flakes easily with a fork, 7 to 9 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove fillets with a metal spatula and serve immediately.

SIMPLE CAST IRON SALMON

Steps:

• Allow the fish to come to room temperature before pan frying.
• Pat the salmon dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
• Coat the cast iron skillet well in olive oil, then heat it to medium high. The oil should be shimmering before you add the fish.
• Place the salmon, skin side down and reduce heat to medium low. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and a squirt of lemon juice.
• Allow the fish to fry skin side down, undisturbed, until it becomes crispy (about 5 minutes for an inch thick filet). If you find the filets are buckling, you can press down on them firmly with a fish spatula.
• When the skin is crispy and the sides of the salmon filet turns from a translucent pink to opaque lighter colour from the bottom up to the top, flip the fish over and cook the rest of the way. The skin should release nicely from the pan at this point.
• Cook for another minute, until the salmon reaches medium rare (120 F) or medium (125 F to 130F) when a thermometer is inserted into the middle of the thickest part of the filet.