Pan-seared Salmon with Orange-Citrus Vinaigrette and Spinach Crisps

When you pan-sear/pan-fry salmon, it's important not to overcook it. Salmon has a wonderfully delicate and silky texture when cooked just right. Its flavour, too, is subtle, buttery and sweet when prepared well. If you're remembering salmon as fishy, tough, and dry, give this fish another go with this recipe.

The orange-citrus vinaigrette goes amazingly well to cut the rich fattiness of the fish, and complements its unique flavour. It will also mask any remaining fishiness of a salmon that's maybe not so fresh. Coupled with spinach crisps, done two-ways, you'll also get a bit of texture and crunch to this dish that contrasts the salmon's silkiness.

Here, I'll outline some guidelines I follow to ensure I have a beautifully cooked piece of salmon:

• Always ensure the pan is searing hot at the very beginning. You can test this by sprinkling a few drops of water into the pan. The water droplets should immediately sizzle away. Then, add olive oil to the pan.

• Place the salmon, gently, skin-side down. Hold it there and apply some pressure with your hand or spatula to ensure the fish or skin does not curl up and instead gets a good sear. You can remove the pressure after about 20 seconds.

• Only flip your salmon fillet (assuming it is approx. 1.5 inch, 3cm thick fillet) after 2 minutes on high heat, skin side down. Sear it for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Take your fish off the heat immediately when cooked.

• To test if your fish is cooked, poke a skewer through the thickest part of the fillet. If your skewer comes out clean and easily, it's cooked. If you feel some resistance, and your skewer is slightly "stuck", cook the fish for another minute before testing again.

• It's better to undercook salmon, and then return it to the pan to cook further, than to overcook it.

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INGREDIENTS:

Serves 1. 40min cooking time. (If you're in a hurry, skip the spinach crisps for a 20min cooking time)

Orange-Citrus Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons orange juice

• 1.5 tablespoons of orange zest, freshly grated from the peel

• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

Spinach Crisps

• A handful of spinach leaves (about 1 cup, loosely packed)

• 1/2 cup of flour

• 1/2 egg, mixed

• 1/2 very cold water

• Vegetable or canola oil

Salmon

• 1 medium-sized salmon fillet, skin on

• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

• 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil

METHOD:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the orange-citrus vinaigrette together in a bowl, mix well and set aside.

2. Pat the salmon fillet dry with paper towels, then season with sea salt. Set aside.

3. Wash the spinach leaves, drain the water away as much as possible, and pat dry.

4. In a small pot on medium-high, add in vegetable or canola oil until the oil is about 2-inches deep.

5. To make a tempura batter, sift the flour into a bowl.

6. Pour half a lightly-mixed egg mixture into another bowl.

7. Pour the pour water into the egg mixture and stir well.

8. Finally, add in the flour and stir gently to combine. Be careful not to over-mix this.

9. To test if the oil is ready, use a pair of chopsticks to 'flick' a few drops of batter into the pot. If the batter immediately sizzles and floats, the oil is ready. Turn the heat down to a medium-low.

10. With half of the spinach leaves, dip them into the tempura batter and then gently place them individually in the pot. Be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Once the batter turns golden, remove the spinach leaves and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.

11. With the next half of the spinach leaves, just fry them in the oil without the batter. Once they crispy and turn a slightly dark green, place them on the paper towel-lined plate. Set the spinach crisps aside.

12. Now, heat a non-stick pan on medium-high, then add in olive oil. Check that the pan is searing hot, before placing the salmon skin-side down onto the pan. With your hand/spatula, apply some pressure on the filet to ensure that the skin does not curl up. Cook for about 1.5 minutes on this side, before flipping the fish to cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.

13. Once the salmon is lightly crisp and orangey-red around the edges, you can remove it from the heat and check its doneness. You could also tilt the pan, bringing the olive oil down to one side, and then flip your fish skin-side down again to crisp up the skin further for about another 30 seconds to a minute before turning off the heat.

Assembly

Place salmon fillet on the side of the plate, skin-side down (Alternatively, remove the skin gently with a knife, and serve it on the side or place diagonally over the top of the salmon fillet). Pour the citrus-vinaigrette over the salmon, and spoon it in circles around the plate. Add battered spinach crisps on the side, and the non-battered ones over the fillet.

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(See how silky it is below!)

Chelsea Ho

The Ordinary Gourmet

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