Description
Ina Garten’s seared salmon recipe delivers Mediterranean flavors with a zesty red pepper aioli. Crisp exterior meets succulent fish, promising a restaurant-quality meal you can easily prepare at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 (6 oz/170 g) boneless, skinless, center-cut salmon fillets
- 2 teaspoons/10 mL minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 1 tablespoon/15 mL (canned) chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 cup/240 mL good mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s
- 1 tablespoon/15 mL freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ cup/60 mL jarred roasted red peppers, seeded and chopped
- good olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lime, quartered, for serving
Instructions
- Aioli Preparation: In a food processor, blend roasted red peppers, garlic, chipotle pepper, and lime juice until smooth. Incorporate mayonnaise, then season with salt and black pepper to create a zesty, creamy sauce.
- Salmon Preparation: Pat salmon fillets dry and massage with olive oil. Season thoroughly with salt and black pepper, ensuring even coverage.
- Searing Stage: Heat a cast-iron skillet on high for 5 minutes until scorching. Carefully place salmon rounded-side down, searing for 2 minutes to develop a golden crust.
- Oven Finishing: Flip salmon with a metal spatula and transfer skillet to a 400°F preheated oven. Roast for 3-4 minutes, targeting a rare to medium-rare doneness.
- Resting and Serving: Allow salmon to rest 3-5 minutes under a foil tent, letting juices redistribute. Plate with spicy red pepper aioli and a fresh lime wedge for a vibrant presentation.
Notes
- Precision Matters: Pat salmon fillets completely dry to achieve a perfectly crisp, golden sear without steaming the fish.
- Heat Control: Ensure cast-iron skillet is blazing hot for 5 full minutes to create an ideal caramelized exterior on the salmon.
- Doneness Timing: Watch cooking time carefully; 3-4 minutes in the oven delivers a rare to medium-rare center, preventing dry, overcooked fish.
- Resting Magic: Let salmon rest after cooking to allow juices to redistribute, guaranteeing a moist, tender texture that elevates the entire dish.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 710 mg
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 36 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 46 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg