Spanish-fried salmon

various dates

Spanish-frying is a method of almost-deep-frying in 1/4 to 3/4" oil in a regular frying pan. Hot oil is constantly ladled over the food to speed up the cooking. It gives a crisp outside with a moist inside.

Take note that these fish look much harder cooked than with other methods, yet their insides are still moist. That is typical for Spanish-frying. On the other hand, the high oil temperature makes it easy to overcook the salmon. It takes less time than oven-baking and turning the fish every minute or so also helps to cook it more evenly.

Be careful for grease fires when cooking stovetop with this much oil and without thermostat.

A. Spanish-fried king salmon

2017-01-11

A beautiful king salmon piece, the largest I ever received. But look at all those bones they left in...

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2 servings:

1 lb. sockeye salmon (= ½ fillet)
S&P
Old Bay seasoning

Pic1: king salmon, Spanish-fried
served with refried beans

Directions

Heat ½ to ¾: of your preferred cooking oil in a frying pan.
Dry the salmon fillet with paper towels.
Generously season the salmon with Old Bay seasoning to taste.
Place the salmon skin-up in the oil.
Beware for spattering of hot oil.
Fry for a minute or so. Turn the salmon. Fry the other side for minute.
Ladle hot oil over the salmon while it is cooking.
Repeat until cooked through.
8-15 minutes should do it, depending on thickness. This goes faster than baking in the oven, but large king salmon is also a lot thicker than sockeye.
Pat dry with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Serve and enjoy.

2017-01-11

Pic2: start skin-side up
Pic3: turn, ladle hot oil
Pic4: beware them bones

B. Spanish-fried sockeye salmon fillet

2019-05-01 a.o.

Salmon is one thing that I’ll splurge on. I have it shipped in frozen directly from Alaska. Wild-caught sockeye looks and tastes so much better than farm-raised Atlantic salmon.

I like larger fillets (2 lbs. and up) because I like to have leftovers for salmon mousse, salad or spread.

For pan-frying I often divide the large fillets down the middle (tail and belly) because otherwise they won't fit even in my oversize frying pan.

I also cut the belly flap. (Pic6) That flap is much thinner than the rest and doesn't need to cook as long as the thicker back pieces.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 4 servings:

1 salmon fillet, 1 ½ - 2 lbs. preferably wild-caught S&P, seasoning of choice olive oil

Pic5: sockeye, Spanish-fried
served with mixed vegetables

Directions

Heat about ½ ” olive oil.
Season the fish to taste.
When the oil is near-smoking hot, place the pieces skin-side up.
Move the fish with a metal spatula to prevent it from sticking.
When nicely crisped / brown-crusted, turn the pieces.
Keep ladling hot oil over the fish.
Cook fully through without drying out. (5-10 minutes, depending on thickness)
The meat should be even colored but still juicy.
Serve immediately, enjoy.
Optional:
- Remove the greyish meat layer underneath the skin. (Pic8)
- Refrigerate leftovers and make something nice with them.

2019-05-01

Pic6: 3 pieces
Pic7: all done
Pic8: still moist inside— I removed the brown meat

2016-12-17

Pic9: skin-side up first
Pic10: turn, ladle
Pic11: all done

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org