PERFECT Crispy Skin Salmon with happy yellow butter bean or perfect pea mash
This is my favourite recipe for when I am entertaining because it is practically stress free! A beautiful piece of fish needs little masking, and if cooked perfectly, will simply shine. In this recipe I’m using salmon, but any fish can be used and the method remains the same. I switch between pea or butterbean mash just to keep it interesting!
Read this before you start
In order to have the fish perfect (not overcooked) and the skin crispy we HAVE to remove the skin! I only remove the skin in the pan when we have cooked it down for about a minute, so that it comes off easily.
Don’t try to remove it when the fish is raw and firmly attached. You will see in the video (above) all I do is pick it up with my tongs and it literally peels off.
Ingredients
180g fish, skin on, per person
Salt and pepper to season
Method
- The trick is to cook the fish properly and get the skin sexy and crispy. Soggy fish skin is never sexy. You need to get your pan or BBQ (swearword) HOT and greased with about 5ml vegetable or rice bran oil just so that the fish doesn’t stick.
- When the pan is hot, place the fish (not skin side) presentation side down and use your tongs to make sure it doesn’t stick. I just give the piece a little wiggle to make sure.
- When the first side is brown (simply look underneath and lift with your tongs) turn it over to do the skin side too. After about a minute or two, you should be able to remove the skin using the tongs. Don’t stress if it breaks or you have to strip-peel it off; it is all part of the rustic glamour of this dish!
- Place the skin aside and then turn the now skin-free side down to brown it off. When the fish is cooked (check by placing a fork or knife in the centre of the thickest part and if it flakes when you twist it is done) remove from the pan and lower the heat.
- Fry the skin nice and hot but not so hot that it burns in a flash, as this will dry and crisp up the skin.
NEVER serve soggy fish skin…it is just not glamourous and can be easily crisped up by just allowing it some alone time in the pan.
Serve with one of these amazingly versatile mash recipes here and here.
- Mel, link to these recipes instead of writing them below.
