Pan-roasting—where you start cooking in a skillet on the stovetop and then finish with the skillet in the oven—is a great way to make salmon. It comes out beautifully seared and crispy on the outside but also juicy and tender on the inside. Actually, this is a great way to cook almost any protein—I use it for chicken, steak, pork chops, and other fishes. (See this post for more about buying, storing, and cooking salmon.)
The easy-to-make salsa is also really versatile and delicious on many things beyond salmon. It was inspired by a sauce to go with grilled chicken in Martha Stewart Living, but I’ve since adapted it and love it on anything from grilled or roasted chicken, fish, meat, and burgers to vegetables and even soups and stews.
Serves 4
- 1 or 2 limes
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Four 6-ounce salmon fillets, about 3/4-inch thick, skin removed if you like
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Meanwhile, zest 1 of the limes. Squeeze the zested lime and the additional lime, if necessary, to yield 2 tablespoons of juice. In a small bowl, combine the zest, juice, scallions, cilantro, parsley, chile, and 1/4 cup of the oil. Add salt to taste and set aside.
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of the salmon with the salt and pepper.
When the pan is hot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, swirling it to coat the pan. Add the salmon and cook until well browned on just one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the salmon and place the skillet in the oven. Cook until the salmon is barely opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven (be careful—it will be very hot!). Transfer the salmon to plates or a platter and drizzle with the cilantro-scallion salsa. Serve with any remaining cilantro-scallion salsa on the side.
