Crispy Garlic Parmesan Salmon Recipe (+ VIDEO) (2024)

FAQs

How to get a good crust on salmon? ›

Letting the fish sear untouched in hot oil creates a lovely, flavorful, and golden crust. Carefully flip the fillets and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking until done to your liking, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Baking salmon in parchment paper is one of the healthiest cooking methods. It's also easy to prep and clean up. However, some people may prefer the texture of pan-fried or grilled salmon over steamed salmon en papillote.

Fold the edges of the foil tightly together over the salmon to seal, leaving some space in the parcel for steam to surround and cook the fish. Put the salmon parcel in the roasting tin and cook in the centre of the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.

Here's the secret: Let the fish cook for 90% of the time on the skin side. This thoroughly crisps the skin, and also results in a gentler cooking for the flesh side of the salmon.

A seared fish necessity. Butter + Oil. Butter makes everything better, and the oil is key for helping create the crispy exterior. Make sure to use an oil with a high smoke point like canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil to avoid burning it.

Wrap your salmon in a parchment packet with aromatics, citrus, veggies, and a drizzle of olive oil. The steam trapped in the packet will infuse the fish with flavor and cook it gently, making it tender and juicy. Bonus: The parchment packets only take about 15 minutes at 425°F and the cleanup is minimal.

Put in a salmon filet skin side down, added salt and pepper, covered it with a lid and cooked until it was mostly done. Then flipped it over and finished it on the other side.

The white stuff that oozes out of salmon is called albumin, a type of protein in the fish (other foods with albumin include eggs, beef and milk). You can't see albumin when the fish is raw—it only appears when the salmon is exposed to heat. As salmon cooks, the albumin turns from its liquid state into a semi-solid one.

What is the secret to best salmon? ›

A dry brine gives you firmer, juicier fish fillets with kettle-chip-crisp skin. Credit... Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times.

Spices: Dried spices, such as onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin, can add depth of flavor to salmon. Smoked paprika or sweet paprika can add smokiness to the salmon. To add heat, try chili powder, cayenne pepper, jerk seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or Chinese five-spice powder.

Oil or avocado oil: Combined with the heated pan, a film of oil is all you need to create the golden crust. Combined with the salt and pepper, the result is simple but impressive flavor and texture. Don't move the salmon until ready to flip: Allowing the fish to cook in one spot will allow a better crust to develop.

The two key things to ensure crispy salmon skin are dry skin, and not skimping on oil! Oil helps distribute the pan's heat evenly as well as fry the skin to help crisp it. If you skimp on oil, the skin will just burn instead of going golden, and it really won't be that crispy.

Carefully drying the salmon helps ensure that the skin does not stick, as does preheating the pan before adding the fish. Pressing down on the fish as soon as it hits the pan keeps the skin flat, so that the fish cooks evenly and the skin crisps all over.