If the thought of cooking Salmon with the skin on freaks you out a bit and puts a look of disgust on your face, I'm here to change that. Trust me, I, too, had a negative association with cooking Salmon with the skin still on. However, this is probably because I had only ever had sad, sad Salmon with chewy, underwhelming skin. I mean, obviously! Nothing about that sounds enticing.
Today, we are going to put all of the gloomy and unfavorable thoughts about Salmon skin to rest. Cooking skin-on Salmon in a searing hot cast iron skillet is the best thing you can do for the skin. Not only is it the best thing- it's the simplest. All you need for crispy, crunchy skin-on perfection is quality wild-caught, skin-on Salmon, Salt and Pepper, oil, such as Avocado, and a good ole cast iron skillet- that's all, folks.
Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Asparagus, Snap Peas and Miso-Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 4 5 oz Boneless, skin-on Salmon fillets Preferably wild caught
- 1 bunch Asparagus, tough woody ends removed and discarded. Asparagus stalks cut into thirds. I suggest organic
- 1 cup Snap Peas, cut in half lengthwise Again, go for organic!
- 3 Tbsp Avocado Oil
- 5 Green Onions Minced
- Salt and Pepper
Miso-Ginger Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Red Miso Paste
- 1 inch Ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Agave
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- Sal and Pepper To taste
Instructions
Miso-Ginger Sauce
- First thing first, let's make the Miso-Ginger Sauce. Whisk the first 5 ingredients for the Miso-Ginger Sauce in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil, a little bit at a time, until emulsified. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste and set aside.
Cook the Salmon and Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Heat a medium cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Rub pieces of Salmon with 1 Tbsp of oil. While on a plate, salt the skin side. When pan is hot, add remaining 2 Tbsp of oil. Add Salmon fillets, skin side-down. Salt other side of Salmon and cook for for 5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for 3 minutes. Remove Salmon from pan and set on a plate, skin side-up.
- Turn heat to medium-low. Add Asparagus and Snap Peas to pan and season with Salt and Pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are cooked through, but still firm, 4-5 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat, add Salmon on top of Vegetables, skin side-up and put the skillet into the preheated oven for 2-3 minutes, just to ensure that the Salmon is warm upon serving. Remove from oven and top with Green Onion.
- Drizzle with Miso-Ginger Sauce after plating.
