Sunday, February 06, 2005

Fast Salmon for One

For this recipe, which I just made, you should either have a fresh filet of salmon, or a frozen one that has been completely thawed beforehand. Don't thaw in the microwave; do it in the fridge or out on the counter (which is against Food Safe, I know, but one salmon filet will pretty much thaw on the counter in about an hour and a half). Thawing in the microwave often is uneven and you wind up getting a frozen centre and cooked edges, which is bad.

So...

  • Take a salmon filet. Take a frying pan. Put some olive oil in the frying pan and crank up the heat. The pan must be very hot - the oil should just start to lightly smoke.
  • Gently lay the salmon in the pan; season with salt & pepper. Do not touch the salmon for at least 1 1/2 - 2 minutes - it will still stick to the pan at this point and you'll get a mess. After the minute and a half, look at the cross section of the salmon and if it's cooked aobut 1/4 of the way or so, then flip the salmon and season that side. It shouldn't stick. Again leave it for about a minute and a half to two minutes.
  • Deglaze the pan with a generous splash of white wine. Add some dried dill and a clove of garlic. You can also add a shallot or a leek, if desired. Sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Let the wine reduce, uncovered, until there's only a bit left. Check salmon for doneness. Reduce the heat to low. Put the lid on the pan and let the salmon gently cook until done.
  • You can serve it now or, if you're feeling decadent, you can finish this off with a couple of tablespoons of cream (which is obviously less diet-friendly).

Serve with a salad, and you have a quick, yummy, healthy meal.

4 comments:

greatwhitebear said...

I just decided what I'm making for dinner....thanks

Wandering Coyote said...

Let me know how it turns out.

greatwhitebear said...

It was excellent....even got my daughter the seafood hater to try it!

greatwhitebear said...

hey it's march....we're about due for a new recipe, eh?

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin