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My wife and my favorite fish is salmon. We just love it. It is so meaty yet so tender. It is also very forgiving in cooking and sturdy enough to stand up to many different cooking methods. My wife, I think I have noted a number of times (I am not trying to brag) says that I have perfected my cooking of salmon.
Tuesday Tip – Grilling Salmon
One of my friends taught me the trick to start by grilling the fish flesh side down. You only need a couple of minutes and then finish the cooking on the skin side. If you can buy your salmon with the skin on, do it. Do not ask the guy at the counter to cut it off. I have been told and found myself that leaving the skin on keeps the fish moister. The cooking is finished with the skin side down. The skin will peel right off when finished.
I love to use my cast iron skillet for cooking and especially cooking fish. The skillet can go right from the stove top to the oven. I used a traditional cooking method that ones uses for cooking meat. I cooked the fish first and removed it from the pan. I then put the vegetables in the skillet to pick up the flavor remnants from the pan.
The other trick I have now learned is that when you buy a larger piece of the salmon, cut it into fillets and cut off the thinner section of the fillet. I then use the thinner section for soups or wraps. By having similar sized fillets, the different pieces of fish cook evenly.
Grilling Salmon Fillets
- 2.25 lbs of Salmon
- 3 - 4 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1/4 red, green & yellow pepper, diced
- 1 bag of spinach
- Season the salmon with the Old Bay and salt and pepper.
- Heat the skillet on high heat with the oil and turn on your oven to 325 degrees.
- Add the salmon flesh side down and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn over and cook in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set salmon aside.
- Add the vegetables into the skillet which is back on stove top on medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Add the orzo and let it absorb the flavors in the pan for 1 minute. Add in water. Cook allowing the orzo to absorb most of the water.
- Add back in the vegetables and the spinach. Cook for 2 minutes allowing the spinach to wilt.
- Top with the salmon and cook for 1 - 2 more minutes until the majority of the water is absorbed.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sauteing Vegetables
Remove from pan and add orzo and water.
Cooking Orzo
Add back the vegetables including the spinach.
Vegetables Added Back In
Plated.
Serve and enjoy!
Chef, I love your salmon recipe. As line cook, working in the line is really tiring. Consistency should always be present at any circumstances. One of my challenges is salmon, that when I read this post, I feel that you were talking to me and giving me an advice, as what the Chefs loves doing. Thanks for sharing this.
thank you for your kind words.
I seriously do not cook with salmon enough. After this post, you definitely have inspired me to go out and buy some Peter!
I love salmon, too.This looks absolutely amazing!
Thank you Patricia.
I am particularly fond of salmon too. Just recently I really did a bad bad bad job of cooking it. So disappointed in myself. So I needed your tips. Thank you—–
Carol, I truly hope the tip helps.
That is a beautiful piece of salmon and I would agree, you have perfected it. Great cooking tips and I love the orzo side dish too.
Thx janette.