My final assessment for first year was due and I had to cook a soup, entree and main. My only choices for meat were chicken or salmon. So, for the main I have decided to go with crispy skin salmon. I called it pan fried salmon on the day, just in case the skin didn’t quite go crispy, but thankfully it did and I passed. I made my hot and sour soup and it was named dish of the day 🙂
The chef’s at work were very helpful and I spent a couple of hours on a day off, learning salmon three ways. I decided on the pan fried for my assessment as it tasted the best (in my humble view). I was also helped with the plating up and the above was the test run before the assessment. I also had to provide a side salad and I chose to do an orange, fennel and rocket salad to accompany.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 salmon portions, skin on and pin boned. (approx. 180 – 200g each for a main size)
4 tablespoons Olive oil
6 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sumac
Combine sumac and salt together. Pour onto a tray and place the salmon on the salt, skin side down. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200 °C.
Heat oil in a non-stick (oven proof) pan. Wash salt from the salmon and pat dry with paper towel. Fry, skin side down until the flesh starts to go white (about 1 – 2 minutes).
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 3 – 5 minutes, until the flesh has turned white half way up the fish. If you are using a tail piece, cook for a shorter time as the fish portion is thinner and will cook quicker (as I found out in my assessment and overcooked it a little)
Remove from oven, turn fish over and cook for a few minutes to finish off, using the residual heat in the pan.
Serve immediately on parsnip mash, with asparagus and orange beurre blanc.
