Healthy: Crispy Skin Salmon

As a kid the idea of eating fish skin sounded disgusting. And it is disgusting when it is soggy and slimy. However, it adds a nice flavor and texture when it is crispy. That crunch can help out the whole dish, as salmon fillet are often served with soft rice or other grains and soft vegetables (steamed or grilled). So it's important to get the skin sufficiently crispy without turning the entire fillet into a fried salmon puck. Due to the frying involved in crisping the skin I had mixed feelings about categorizing this dish as healthy but if you use only the necessary amount of oil to crisp up the skin and keep it from sticking then it's not much less healthy than throwing it in the oven and baking or broiling it.

Prep & Cooking Tips

Cooking crispy skin salmon is not difficult but it requires good technique. Ideally you want a crispy salmon skin with a medium-well cooked interior. That requires having a good skin surface and an even fillet of salmon. If you buy frozen or pre-filleted salmon then the scales should already be removed and the salmon fillets are ready to be cooked. If you buy an entire side of salmon then you need to descale and fillet the salmon. (If you buy a whole salmon then butchering the fish is your first step.) Descaling is not difficult although it can be somewhat messy. There are good video tutorials out there.

Then you need to fillet the salmon. Six ounce servings are the norm. To fillet the salmon you are just cutting through the fish into equal portions. Before filleting the fish you should check for bones left in the fish. Running your fingers horizontally along where the spine used to be will usually uncover any small white bones left behind. Remove them with tweezers or your hands. Be careful but to destroy the meat getting the bones out. I also like to go ahead and salt and pepper before filleting but that is up to you. The fillet where the tail section was should be larger by surface area than the fillets by where the head was because the meat is thicker near the front of the fish. Fillet the fish by making one smooth cut vertically across the fish. A sharp knife with a sharp tip should cut through the fish and the skin in a single smooth cut. If you don't get all the way through the skin then make additional smooth long cuts with the tip of the knife until you separate the fillet. Do not saw at it. This will tear up the meat.

When frying the salmon fillets, use as little oil as necessary to keep the skin from sticking to the pan. If you use too much oil you will get a fried fish-like texture and you will end up with an oily salmon. Not only is that not a healthy option but it ruins the light texture of salmon. When placing the fillets in the pan, place them in skin side down and run the first half you lay down around the oil to get a good coat of oil where it counts. The oil that isn't under the skin isn't doing you any good. Then place the rest of the fish down in the pan by laying it down away from you so you don't splatter oil on yourself. I like to gently move the fillet back and forth to make sure the entire skin surface is oiled.

This recipe cooks the salmon at a lower temperature for a little longer than other recipes. You can cook salmon hotter but at the lower temperature you get a more moist fillet with an even cook and less albumin on the surface. Albumin is the white protein that develops on the surface of salmon. There's nothing wrong with it but it has a weird texture and many people find it unappetizing. A lower cooking temperature will reduce the amount pushed out of the fish. You can't completely avoid it but you should see less this way.

Crispy Salmon Recipe

Serving size: 4 (assuming you have four fillets)
Prep time: 10 minutes (assuming you need to descale and fillet salmon)
Cook time: 10 minutes

Equipment:

• Frying pan
• Knife and cutting board
• Fish spatula (or other thin spatula)
• Stove

Ingredients:

• 4 6oz. salmon fillets
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil or olive oil

Directions:

1. Descale and fillet salmon. Add salt and pepper to the flesh side of the fillet. 
2. Heat oil in frying pan over medium-low heat.
3. When oil is ready add fillets to pan skin side down (see above for recommended approach).
4. Cook for seven minutes. Fillet should be 3/4 cooked.
5. Turn over and cook for three minutes. Serve.