Tragano Solomo - Crispy Skin Salmon
This simple and elegant crispy skin salmon recipe highlights the bright flavors and beautiful textures of the Mediterranean. The crispy salmon skin paired with the bursting cherry tomatoes, briny olives, and perfectly wilted fennel evoke the essence of the Mediterranean and will bring a smile to your face.
Ingredients
2 salmon tranches, 6 oz each, skin on
6 tablespoons olive oil
7-9 cherry tomatoes
5-6 kalamata olives, pitted
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 lemon, sliced
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced
¼ cup fennel fronds, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste, as needed
Dry Greek oregano, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Gently pat the pieces of salmon dry using paper towels.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and allow the oil to get hot.
Once hot, place the salmon in the pan, skin side down; gently press salmon in place for 12-15 seconds to ensure all the skin makes contact with the pan. Allow the salmon to cook for 4-5 minutes, until the skin is crisp, and the flesh of the salmon begins to turn opaque. Flip the salmon and continue cooking, until the fish is mostly opaque.
While salmon is cooking, place a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface. Add cherry tomatoes, olives, thyme, lemon slices, fennel fronds, and sliced fennel to the center of the parchment paper. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and oregano, and dress with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Take the two long edges of the parchment paper, bring them together above the vegetables in the center, and roll to enclose the vegetables; tuck the sides underneath, creating a sealed package.
Place the parchment package on a baking sheet, adding 2-3 tablespoons of water to the sheet, and drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 4-5 minutes, remove, and let rest for 1-2 minutes.
Plate a bed of the vegetables, and place the crispy skin salmon on top; drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, serve and enjoy.
Chef’s Notes
To ensure the freshness of your fish, make sure the skin is shiny and metallic looking, the flesh is firm to the touch, the eyes are clear, and the fish smells like the ocean, not ‘fishy’!
If you’re buying farm-raised salmon, make sure it is organic, sustainably and ethically raised, and the farm doesn’t use antibiotics or artificial coloring.
