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French

Oven-baked salmon fillet

Salmon seared then finished in the oven, crispy skin, ready in 20 minutes.

Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Total
20 min
Level
Easy
Golden salmon fillet with crispy skin

Tips

  • Seared then finished in the oven — this is the restaurant technique for truly crispy skin. The oven alone never really crisps the skin.
  • Drying the skin with paper towel is the most important step. Wet skin sticks and won't crisp. Lightly salt the skin just before cooking.
  • Use a stainless-steel pan if you can. Test it with a drop of water: it should form a ball that rolls (the Leidenfrost effect). That's the signal the pan is at the right temperature and the fish won't stick.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan). Heat a dry stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat. Test with a drop of water: the pan is at the right temperature when the drop forms a ball that rolls.
  2. Rinse the salmon fillet and dry the skin thoroughly with paper towel. Lightly salt the skin just before cooking.
  3. Slice the onion and lemon into rounds. Lay them in an oven dish and scatter the aromatic herbs (thyme, bay, rosemary) on top with a little olive oil.
  4. When the pan is hot enough, lay the fillet skin-side down. Press gently with a spatula for 10 to 15 seconds so the skin doesn't curl and stays flat. Cook 2 to 3 minutes without touching. To test, move the pan: the salmon slides on its own when the skin is properly seared. If it resists, leave it a little longer.
  5. Transfer the fillet to the oven dish, skin-side down, onto the onion and lemon slices. Salt the top of the salmon and bake for 10 to 13 minutes depending on thickness. The salmon is done when it flakes with a fork and is still slightly translucent at the centre.
  6. Take the fillet out of the oven, scatter with dill if using, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve at once.