Pan-Seared Salmon

This week’s macronutrient blog was a spotlight on fat. This week’s recipe gives you a healthy dose of the essential omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fats provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. Omega-3 fats have been shown to help prevent heart disease and stroke, may help control lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions.

Fatty fish is the best source of omega-3 fats. Of the fatty fish options, salmon is my absolute favorite. If I go to a seafood restaurant, I always order salmon. My favorite is grilled, but if I make it at home, my my go to way of cooking is searing it. This method of cooking involves cooking the meat in at hot pan so that the outside cooks quickly and forms a crust. This helps keep the moisture inside of the meat. Searing can be a little intimidating at first due to the hot pan and oil, but it becomes easier once you get the hang of. The recipe below is a very simple, quick recipe to get you started with seared salmon if you have never tried it. Feel free to switch up the seasoning for things you like! I love serving my salmon with roasted potatoes and roasted or steamed broccoli.

Some tricks to getting a good sear:

Use an oil that has a high smoke point, meaning it can get up to high temps without smoking. Olive oil is not good for searing as it has a lower smoke point. For searing in a medium-hot pan you want to use canola, safflower, or peanut oil.
Use a pan that is just big enough for the food you are cooking so you avoid oil splatter and smoking oil.
Make sure your pieces of meat are all about the same size and thickness so they cook at the same rate.
Your pan needs to be hot before you put the meat in. You want the outside to cook quick!
Once you put the meat in, and after you flip it, don’t mess with it! Let the hot pan do its magic.
Don’t over cook the meat, it will dry out.
Serve immediately. The meat will continue to cook a little after you remove it from the pan. So make sure you have the rest of your meal ready to go once you start cooking the meat because it goes fast!