Name: Cast Iron Crisp-Skin Salmon with Honey-Lime Sauce
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives; 2 teaspoons grated lime zest plus 4 teaspoons juice; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 (2-pound) skin-on salmon fillet , 1 1/2 inches thick, sliced crosswise into 4 equal pieces; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Rich, meaty salmon and sweet-tangy flavors are a fantastic pairing, but most recipes fall short, producing soggy skin that gets pushed to the side of the plate, unevenly cooked fish, and an overly sweet sauce. To make a foolproof recipe using this combination, we turned to a cast-iron skillet and its excellent searing abilities. Preheating the skillet in the oven ensured that it was hot enough to cook the outside of the fish quickly without overcooking the inside. We first seared the flesh side over medium heat until we got a gorgeous brown crust, then we flipped the salmon skin side down and crisped the skin over medium-low heat. Making three or four shallow slashes in the skin helped to render some of the excess fat and ensured that the skin was super crisp for a perfect contrast to the rich fish. For our sauce, we balanced honey with tangy lime zest and juice to keep its sweetness in check, plus a bit of cayenne for added complexity and heat.

Before You Begin

To ensure uniform pieces of salmon that cooked at the same rate, we found it best to buy a whole center-cut fillet and cut it into four pieces ourselves. If your knife is not sharp enough to cut through the skin easily, try a serrated knife.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, combine honey, chives, lime zest and juice, and cayenne in bowl; set aside for serving.

Using sharp knife, make 3 to 4 shallow slashes about 1 inch apart on skin side of each fillet, being careful not to cut into flesh. Pat salmon dry with paper towels, rub with oil, and season with salt and pepper.

When oven reaches 500 degrees, remove skillet from oven using potholders and place over medium heat; turn off oven. Being careful of hot skillet handle, place salmon flesh side down in skillet and cook until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Gently flip salmon, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until skin is crisp and center is still translucent when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 9 to 12 minutes. Transfer salmon to serving platter and spoon sauce over top. Serve.