David Rubel's

What's For Dinner?

2/28/07 

Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon and Onions

(serves two adults and two children)

This recipe minimizes the fishiness associated with farmed salmon by draining off some of the fat after an initial sear. My wife Julia developed the technique quite by accident when she cleaned the skillet one day before realizing that the fish she had just cooked wasn't quite done. Of such mistakes are great inventions born; vulcanized rubber comes to mind.

• 1 1/2 lb salmon filet
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 medium or large lemon
• 1 medium or large onion
• olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Wash and pat dry the salmon. Sprinkle the flesh side with salt and pepper.

3. Wash the lemon and slice it, discarding the pulpless ends. Peel the onion and slice it into rings (or half-rings) that are approximately the same thickness as the lemon slices.

4. Lightly coat a nonstick ovenproof skillet with olive oil and heat it over a high flame until very hot. Place the salmon in the skillet flesh-side down and sear for 3 minutes.

5. Remove the salmon to a plate lined with paper towels. When removing the skillet from the oven, use two mitts and leave one covering the handle, just in case you reach for it without thinking. Meanwhile, wipe the rendered salmon fat from the skillet and add a little more olive oil, about 1 tablespoon. Return the skillet to the high flame.

6. Add the onion slices and saute them for a minute or two, until they begin to wilt. Add the lemon slices and continue to saute for another minute.

7. Move the lemon and onion slices to the sides of the pan to make room for the salmon. Return the salmon to the skillet, skin-side down, and cover with a few of the onion and lemon slices. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.

8. Roast until the salmon is cooked through and a few of the lemon and onion slices have caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.

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Tips

* Because salmon can really stink up a skillet, and nonstick surfaces tend to hold the smell, my kitchen has a dedicated salmon pan. You'd be surprised how cheaply you can pick up a good one of these. For example, Calphalon often offers promotional pans at deep discounts. You can find them at Macy's. At least that's where I found mine.

* Sweet onions, such as Vidalias, work especially well with this dish.

* To promote even caramelization, I often shake the skillet once or twice during the roasting.

* If your salmon filet is a little on the thin side, it might finish roasting before the onions and lemons are suitably caramelized. If that happens, remove the salmon to a bed of paper towels while the onion and lemon slices finish up.

* Remember that the skillet handle will be VERY hot after 15 minutes in a 500-degree oven. Use two mitts, and leave one covering the handle, just in case you reach for it without thinking.

* Eat the lemon slices, rind and all; they're fabulous.

If you have tried one of these recipes and have an improvement or tip or variation to suggest, please e-mail David at dinner@wamc.org. Also feel free to send along your own family cuisine recipes. You can even request dishes that you'd like David to present in the future.

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David Rubel is president of Agincourt Press, a book production company in Chatham, New York. He spends his days writing American history, then heads home after work to cook for his wife and two young children. His most recent book is The Coming Free: The Struggle for African-American Equality (DK, 2005).