Description
Discover the art of making pan-seared salmon with chunky olive sauce; learn step-by-step to create a flavorful dish that’s perfect for any occasion. Click to master it now!
Ingredients
- 4 fillets salmon fillets about 6 oz (170 g) each (without skin or with skin-on)
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 tablespoon (60 ml) s extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 cup (240 ml) mixed castelvetrano and kalamata olives pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) s capers drained
- 1 small shallot peeled and finely minced
- 1 small lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 ml) Aleppo pepper flakes optional
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) s minced fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped olives, capers, minced shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. If you want some heat, add Aleppo pepper flakes. Pour in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and stir in the fresh parsley. Set this mixture aside for now.
- Warm a large frying pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating up, use a paper towel to dry the salmon pieces and season them on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whether you use skinless or skin-on salmon, the method remains unchanged.
- Pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into the heated pan. When the oil is shimmering but not smoking, place the salmon fillets into the pan with the skin facing upwards. Allow them to cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes on medium-high heat until they are browned, or the skin becomes crispy.
- Turn the salmon over so the skin side is down. Lower the heat to medium and let them cook for another 3-5 minutes until they are just cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat.
- At this stage, you may either transfer the salmon to a plate, keeping the skin intact, or remove the skin while still in the pan. To remove the skin, gently slide a wide spatula between the salmon and the skin to separate them. Move the skinless salmon to a plate. Take the skins out of the pan; you can choose to eat them later or discard them. Keep any leftover oil in the pan.
- If you opted to remove the skin, present the salmon with the flesh facing upwards. Distribute the chunky olive sauce over each fillet on a plate and serve immediately.
- If you prefer to keep the skin on, place the sauce on the plate first, then position the salmon with the skin side up to maintain its crispiness.
Notes
- Chop olives and capers to similar sizes for even flavor distributionnAvoid zesting the white pith of the lemon to prevent bitternessnHeat pan and oil thoroughly to ensure salmon skin crisps without sticking
