Cooks prize salmon for its tender, delicate flavor and ease of preparation. Health-smart cooks also love it for its nutritional value. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids that help support heart health. The collagen, or fibers that connect muscle tissue, in fish is much more delicate than the collagen in beef. It breaks down much more quickly, so cooking crispy salmon doesn’t take long. Preparing tender salmon with a crisp outer crust gives you a fabulous contrast in texture and it’s simple to do. The one mistake most new fish cooks make is overcooking. Crispy tender salmon takes less than 10 minutes.
Coat the bottom of your skillet with oil. Olive oil has the most flavor, but canola, vegetable or peanut oil will also work.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat until the oil starts to release its scent if you use olive oil, or starts to shimmer if you use any other kind.
Put your salmon fillets into the hot oil. Stand back so you don’t get splattered.
Cook the salmon for five minutes and then turn it over, using a spatula.
Sear the salmon for another three minutes. Cover the skillet and remove it from the heat. Let it sit for two to four minutes to finish cooking off of the heat.