We’ve all been told we should increase our fish intake at least to three times a week. Wild salmon has been touted to be a delicious healthy choice due to the fish’s high protein, high omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D content. Salmon is also a source of the good kind of cholesterol. It’s kind of a miracle food.
There are many varieties of salmon: sockeye, king, coho, chum… The thing is…I’m not in love with the stuff. I find the red sockeye, the most prized variety with the most oil and fat, kind of intense and sometimes fishy tasting. Chum is not for the salmon snobs. It’s considered the “dog” less desired species, less oil and fat.
My preference is to cook up the coho variety, also known as silver salmon, or silvers. Coho is fatted just right for me. It has a mild flavour and cooks up juicy. Coho salmon are in streams to spawn between July and November. The months of July, August, September, October and November are the peak times for coho fishing. So now’s the time to purchase and prepare a succulent fish feast. No one enjoys eating dried out fish. Salmon is quite flavourful. There’s no need for a whole lot of fussin if you don’t have the time. Here’s the way I prepare my fish in a flash… pun intended.
Use a good ovenproof fry pan. I use my cast iron skillet for the best results. Remember for every inch of fish thickness, 10 minutes of cooking time in a very hot oven, 420 F to 450 F degrees.
Because this is a fatty fish, no need to use a whole lot of oil.
Honey Lip Smackin Roasted Coho Salmon
4 to 5 ounces Salmon filet per person
Honey for drizzling Lemon for squeezing Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper for seasoning Less than 1-tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to start the sizzlin Cooked veggies for sides
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
Heat your skillet on a medium high stove top first, and pour in extra virgin olive oil
Sprinkle the fish flesh side first with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Sear for about 2 minutes until light brown
Repeat process with skin side and flip over, you want this side to get crispy when you put into the hot oven
After two minutes on the skin side, drizzle with honey and then lemon. Quickly place the skillet in the hot oven for about 6 minutes or until the flesh is completely cooked through and no raw flesh to be seen. Again total cooking time is around 10 minutes per 1 inch of flesh.
Do not overbake. If you take the fish out to rest for a few minutes, there will be some carry over heat to cook it to the desired doneness.
Serving Suggestion for a one dish meal:
Cook some vegetables in a microwave or steamer for 4 to 6 minutes, lightly brown in the oil before you start cooking the salmon. Push to the side while frying the salmon. Put the veggies and the browned salmon into the oven. Once cooked, squeeze with the lemon and honey.
In the picture, I used Japanese eggplant, carrots, crimini mushrooms, brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes.