Name: Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Cucumber-Herb Salad
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets , 1½ inches thick; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 2 teaspoons vegetable oil; 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, cut into 1½-inch lengths; ¼ English cucumber , halved lengthwise and sliced thin; 4 scallion , sliced thin on bias; 1 Fresno chile , stemmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin; ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Why This Recipe Works

To get perfectly cooked salmon with shatteringly crispy skin, we salted salmon fillets for an hour uncovered in the refrigerator to firm the flesh, season them throughout, and begin to dry out the skin. Starting the fish in a cold, covered, nonstick skillet allowed the salmon to render the fat under the skin and fry itself. While the skin protected the flesh, the steam created and trapped in the skillet by the lid gently cooked the flesh side without the need to flip the fish or sear the flesh side. This resulted in perfectly rendered and crispy skin and delicate, buttery steamed flesh.

Before You Begin

This recipe was developed using farm-raised salmon; do not use wild-caught salmon, which doesn't have enough fat to render and crisp the skin. To ensure even cooking, we recommend buying a 1½-pound center-cut salmon fillet and cutting it into four pieces. If you prefer a milder dish, remove the ribs and seeds from the chile.

Instructions

for the salmon

Pat salmon dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt. Transfer to large plate skin side up and refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Pat skin dry with paper towels and sprinkle flesh side with pepper. Place salmon skin side down in cold 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until skin is crispy and deep golden brown and centers of fillets register 125 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes. Using tongs or thin spatula, transfer salmon to serving platter skin side up.

for the salad

Whisk lime juice and oil together in large bowl. Add cilantro, cucumber, scallions, Fresno chile, and salt and toss gently to combine. Serve salmon with salad.