By Kelsey Michelsen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Healthy Cooking on a Budget: Simple Pan Seared Salmon

Cooking fish doesn’t have to be complicated, this week we quickly pan seared it, but you can also bake, broil or grill any sort of fish.  Regardless of how you make it, including fish in your weekly dinner schedule can help add variety and delicious health benefits to your diet!

Simple Pan Seared Salmon

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets (skin-on), each about 6 ounces and 1 to 1 ¼ inches thick (leaving the skin on provides structure for when we flip the fillets.)

Salt and ground black pepper

2 teaspoon canola oil or vegetable oil

Warm Ginger Soy Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

Ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

Directions

For the Salmon

1.     Heat a 12-inch sauté pan for 1-2 minutes over high heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and ground black pepper.

2.     Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. When oil shimmers (but does not smoke) add fillets skin side down and cook, without moving fillets, until pan regains lost heat, about 30 seconds.

3.     Reduce heat to medium-high; continue to cook until skin side is well-browned and bottom half of the fillets turn opaque, 4 ½ minutes

4.     Turn fillets and cook, without moving them, until they are no longer translucent on the exterior and are firm, but not hard, when gently squeezed: 3 minutes for medium-rare and 3 ½ minutes for medium. Cutting the fish in the middle and checking to see if it is flaky is another way to check if it is cooked.

5.     Remove fillets from pan; let stand 1 minute. Pat with paper towel to absorb excess fat on surface, if desired. Serve immediately.

For the Vinaigrette

1.     Whisk soy sauce with garlic, ginger and pepper to taste; slowly whisk in olive oil. Set aside.

2.     Add vinaigrette to hot pan once fish has been sautéed and removed, and any juices set aside. Bring to simmer and continue simmering 1 minute. Spoon over cooked fish and serve.

Serve over brown rice and sautéed vegetables.

This recipe can work for shrimp and other types of fish, as well.

Enjoy!