How to cook skin on salmon in oven

Cooking in the Oven

Salmon cooked in the oven is a shortcut to dinner bliss. It produces a beautifully burnished entree, it works for all cuts, and it allows you to focus on another part of your meal while the fish cooks. Just watch your cooking time.

1. Searing and Roasting

   Roasting salmon fillets in the oven gives you beautiful, succulent fish that doesn’t require constant attention. This method, which we recommend if you’re cooking four or fewer fillets, has you sear the fish in a pan on the stovetop first, which crisps the skin delectably. Then you transfer the fish to the oven for an even finish and succulent flesh. Be sure to use a pan that can move safely between stovetop and oven, like a cast-iron skillet, and don’t crowd it with too many pieces of fish.

   This is a method that works well with other types of fish, so it’s a good one to put in your arsenal.

   Here’s how to do it:

   Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a cast-iron skillet, melt about 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add one 6 to 8-ounce, skin-on salmon fillet, with the skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes over high heat to brown the skin, spooning some of the melted butter over the top of the fish as it cooks.

   Transfer the pan to oven. Roast until fish is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

   Note: for even crispier skin, lightly dust the skin side of individual portions of fillet with flour before placing them in the pan.

2. Roasting

   Roasting fillets by using a baking dish, sheet pan or roasting pan is a simple and delicious way to cook a larger number of fillets at once, though the skin will not be as crisp as that on the seared-and-roasted fillets above. These fillets look most appetizing with a seasoning or glaze brushed on top. (You could also use a version of this method to cook a whole side of salmon for a crowd; here’s an excellent recipe for that.)

   Here’s how to roast a pan of smaller fillets:

   Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the fillets skin-side down on a lightly oiled, foil-lined sheet pan. Season them with salt and pepper and whatever else pleases you: Chinese five-spice powder, perhaps, or a mixture of brown sugar and mustard.

   Slide the pan into the top half of your oven. The fillets should be cooked to medium in about 12 minutes.

3. Broiling

   Broiling gives a tasty and attractive burnish to the top (skinless) surface of fillets or steaks, and it is not necessary to turn the fish.

   A delicious way to do this is on a wooden plank. Fish markets and cookware stores sell untreated cedar and apple wood planks, but never use pine as it will give the fish the flavor of resin. The plank should be soaked in water before use. Otherwise, use a sheet pan with sides, lined with foil if you like.

   Here’s a simple method:

   Heat the oven broiler to very hot. Position the oven rack so the salmon is no farther than four inches from source of heat.

   Broil salmon three to five minutes, watching carefully, until top is attractively browned and fish is slightly undercooked in the middle. If you like salmon done this way, remove from oven and transfer to serving platter. Otherwise, shut off broiler and leave salmon in hot oven another three to five minutes, to desired degree of doneness. (We’ll show you how to check for that.)

   Note: A foolproof treatment for broiled salmon is to spread regular mayonnaise, either store-bought or homemade, on salmon fillets before cooking. This flavorful coating – it’s an old trick – will become beautifully dappled and toasty-looking, and keep the fish moist. The mayonnaise can be seasoned with mustard, sriracha, garlic, tomato paste or whatever flavor profile might please you. It’s delicious.

4. En Papillote

   Salmon cooked en papillote, which means wrapped in a packet of parchment (or foil), is a dramatic way to procure perfectly cooked salmon, but it isn’t difficult. You fold a fillet into a cut piece of parchment, and then layer it with seasonings or perhaps vegetables or citrus fruit. Then you simply bake the packets until done.

   The steam created by the parchment produces reliably moist salmon, and opening the individual packets at the table makes for a fun way to start dinner.

   Here’s how to do it:

   Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut a large heart-shaped piece of parchment or foil and place it on a sheet pan. Fold the parchment or foil in half down the middle, place a fillet with its garnishes on one side of each, fold the other side over and crimp the rounded edge tightly closed.

   Place in oven for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how done you’d like to serve the salmon. The packages should puff up and make for dramatic serving.

Grilling

Grilled salmon is an earthy, simple way to cook the fish and gives it a particularly smoky, deep flavor. A perfectly grilled piece of salmon is a wonder of summer. And the method even works for whole salmon, if you’ve got a large enough grill.

1. Salmon fillets, steaks and even whole fish are excellent cooked over fire, particularly on a charcoal grill. Steaks are easiest to handle and turn on the grill. Fillets are best grilled with the skin on (cook them skin side down first). Consider buying a grill basket for the fish, which simplifies the process of cooking several pieces at once.

   Here’s how to grill salmon simply:

   Heat your coals or gas grill burner very hot. Brush salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish skin side down on the grate. Cook salmon for about 5 to 6 minutes, then flip. (Here’s one key tip: If the fish is sticking to the grill grate, then it’s not ready to flip.)

   Cook for another 3 to 10 minutes, depending upon how hot your fire is. The fish is done when the interior is cooked to your liking and exterior is crisp.

Checking for Doneness

Salmon, like tuna, can be enjoyed when it’s still on the rare side in the middle and quite moist. Just how rare is a matter of personal preference. Read on to learn how to tell when your fish is ready.

1. An easy way to test for doneness is to look at the color. Slide a sharp knife into the thickest part of the fillet and peek at the flesh inside; rare salmon will have its original vermilion flesh (above, far left), while medium will be pale pink (far right), and medium-rare will fall in the middle.

2. The test that chefs use is easy and reliable. Poke the tip of a paring knife or a thin metal skewer into the center of the fish and touch the side of it – not the point – to your face between your chin and lower lip. If it feels cool the fish will be rare in the middle; warm means medium-rare and hot shows that the fish is thoroughly cooked through.

Sauces

Perfectly cooked salmon is delicious on its own, but the right sauce will add a new dimension and turn a weeknight dish into dinner party fare.

Emulsions and Butter Sauces

• An emulsion is a fat-based sauce with flavorings blended in. They can be tricky to prepare and especially to hold without breaking but they are classic accompaniments for salmon.

  Uncooked emulsions include vinaigrette, easy to prepare and quickly reconstituted by whisking or shaking in a covered container if it separates. Mayonnaise is another uncooked emulsion. It can be made by hand or machine.

  Cooked emulsions are usually butter-based, with the warm butter whisked into a base that might just be a wine or vinegar reduction, as in a beurre blanc, or a richer egg-based mixture as for the classic hollandaise and its tangy cousin, béarnaise.

  Seasoned butters, like anchovy butter, or flavored oils can be drizzled on cooked salmon to good effect.

Herb Sauces

• If you’re serving something starchy like potatoes, rice, sunchokes or farro with your fish, an herb sauce is the way to go. Try a chermoula, a pungent Moroccan herb sauce, or a classic pesto. Chimichurri, usually reserved for meat, is a great detour for salmon.

Salsas and Romesco

• Salsas deliver acidity, which is always necessary with fish. A pineapple salsa will also add a note of sweetness, a tomato salsa with onion and chile contributes freshness and a hint of fire, and a gingery Asian salsa tempers the richness of the fish with tangy heat. Which one to choose depends not just on the salmon but also on the other components of the dish, including vegetables served alongside.

  For those who can eat nuts, romesco, a tangy, nut-based Spanish sauce with red peppers and bread, is an excellent idea.

Collection