Marinade
˝ cup olive oil
˝ lemon juice
2 T white wine Worcestershire Sauce
1 T Old Bay Seasoning
1 T granulated garlic
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves – chopped
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Cut salmon into 8 ounce portions. Trim the fillet so that the “belly-fat” is removed as well as almost all of the fat from the skin side. Check for and remove all pin-bones that may remain. Place the fillets in a non-reactive container and cover with the marinade. Do not marinate for more than 3 hours as the lemon juice and the acid in the Worcestershire Sauce tend to change the texture of the fish if marinated too long. Turn the fish over 2-3 times to get a good coating on both sides.

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Heat a large, non-stick sauté pan over high heat. Spray the pan with pan release (the olive oil in the marinade will add some fat to the pan as well), and then place two fillets at a time (belly side down) in the pan and sear for about 20-30 seconds. You are interested in getting a good color on the presentation side of the fish, not cooking it at this point. Using a spatula, gently turn the fish over to the skin side (the darker of the two sides that may still have some dark fat on the surface) and sear for 10-15 seconds.

Remove each fillet (skin side down) to a sheet pan that has been sprayed with pan release. Repeat the searing process until all eight fillets are prepared. Let cool to room temperature. Then season each fillet with a mixture of Kosher salt and white pepper (a 10 to 1 ratio works well) and top each fillet with a pat of butter.

Place the sheet pan in the heated oven on the middle rack and bake for 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Do not over cook. This salmon is best when cooked to medium to medium-rare (just about the time the fish begins to flake). Using a spatula, remove fillets to individual serving plates.

Yield: Eight 8-oz portions

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:
Calories 631
Protein (g) 46
Fat (g) 47
Sat fat (g) 12
Carbs (g) 3
Sodium (mg) 850
Cholesterol (mg) 157

Chef Notes:
Searing - Searing is intended to create both color and flavor. It is also intended to help keep the meat juices in (which also helps with flavor and tenderness). The actual cooking process is mostly achieved in the oven where temperatures are more controlled and larger quantities may be prepared at the same time. This type of “two step cooking” – searing and roasting – is done often in commercial kitchens to control production time and create more flavorful and visually appealing dishes.

Marinade - Marinades are generally seasoned liquids used to flavor fish, game, poultry, vegetables or meat. The purpose of marinating food is to add flavor, to tenderize, or in some cases to preserve. Marinades are composed of acids, such as lemon or lime juice, vinegar and wine (acids add flavor but also help break down tough connective tissues, thus tenderizing); oils; and aromatics, herbs and spice. Since fish fillets are very tender and have no tough tissue to break down, the acids will start to tenderize the fish quickly, and this may undesirably change the texture and color. Cevichie is an example of preparing raw fish in a marinade with citrus juices (acids) with the intent of changing the texture and color of the fish.

Kerry B. Koen
Fire Chief, Delray Beach Fire Department
Delray Beach, FL