Salmon, simply seasoned and pan-seared in a hot cast iron skillet, then transferred to the oven to finish, producing a perfectly cooked, juicy, tender and flaky fillet.
Cast Iron Seared Salmon
I grew up, and still live on the Central Gulf Coast where seafood is abundant. Whether you catch your own, or pick it up from a local seafood market, there's nothing that can compare to it from a grocery store freezer section, nevermind that which comes from foreign markets. Nothing.
Depending how deep in the Gulf you want to go, mullet, white trout, tripletail, amberjack, mackerel, redfish, snapper, flounder and grouper, and many others, are all popular here and in abundance, though my number one favorite is speckled trout. You can't beat farm-raised Mississippi catfish either, also in abundance.
That said, though we love it here too, salmon isn't one of our own!
If you've been following the recipes here at Deep South Dish for a bit, it is no secret that I am also a fan of home shopping networks and I buy from them probably a little too often.
Recently HSN featured some beautiful salmon that I had seen over and over between there and the Q, so I thought I'd finally give them a try. I've purchased salmon from my grocery store of course, but I have to say, while pricey, these sure are high quality.
Although they are farm raised, farming is in the North Atlantic Ocean area surrounding the Faroe Islands, located near Iceland and Scotland. Sustainably raised, and fed a non-GMO, nutrient-rich diet harvested from their natural surroundings, it is said to be the best salmon in the world.
Loaded with healthy Omega-3 fatty acids that benefit your heart, lower the bad cholesterol while raising the good, eating salmon is said to help your brain work better. It contains Vitamins A, B and D, and is a good source of calcium and minerals, and it tastes great without much enhancement.
I have a couple of favorite ways to prepare them, but with these quality fillets, I really just wanted to keep it simple, and using Ina Garten's perfected method, here's how to make this Cast Iron Seared Salmon.
As always, full recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, are a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll past the step-by-step pictures below.
First, just look at these gorgeous salmon filets! They are plump, juicy, skinless and I haven't managed to find a misplaced bone anywhere on them so far.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Yes, you'll need the oven on for a little bit. I've been using my countertop oven that I purchased when my range went out. Actually, I mostly use that now over my range! Place salmon on a paper towel covered paper plate and use another paper towel to pat them fairly dry.
Brush all over with olive oil and place with rounded side up.
Season all over with salt, pepper, Old Bay and some dried herbs and lightly rub in. Since we like a little heat, I'm using a little Tony Chachere's Bold Creole seasoning instead of the salt - totally optional.
I'm also using Bragg's organic sprinkle seasoning for the dried herbs, one of my pantry favorites. I use this sprinkle, for, well, pretty much everything. Any favorite dried herbs will do, like rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley and tarragon, all of those are in the Bragg's mix.
Brush cast iron skillet with cooking oil and place over high heat for 5 minutes.
This pan is going to be very hot, so make sure you have some protective gear available to handle it! Any kind of heat resistant glove, mitts or potholders. These pictured are from QVC. (See, I told y'all!)
Reduce heat to medium high and place salmon in skillet with rounded side down. Cook for 2 minutes, then use a metal fish spatula to turn rounded side up and place immediately into the preheated oven.
Roast for 4 minutes, then remove from oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil and set aside. Let rest covered 5 minutes for medium, or 3 to 4 minutes for medium rare.
Just look how beautifully this method cooks the salmon. Hope you try it!
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