Salmon will develop a crispy golden crust when one simple ingredient is added to the cooking process, according to food blogger Chris Collins. In a recipe featured on his blog Don't Go Bacon My Heart, Collins explains that dredging salmon fillets in seasoned flour is the key to achieving a perfect texture.
Why Flour Dredging Works
Collins wrote: "Dredging the fillets through seasoned flour is important for a couple of different reasons." The technique, commonly used in the culinary industry, involves lightly coating food with flour before cooking as part of a breading process or to thicken sauces. It creates a crispy crust when frying or baking, seals in moisture, and can add flavour or texture to a meal.
Coating the fillets in flour first helps "build up a crispy golden crust as you fry the salmon." Additionally, the crust will absorb the sauce and help it cling to the salmon, enhancing the overall dish.
Frying Technique for Golden Colour
Collins also shared tips for frying the salmon to achieve a nice brown colour. "The main goal with frying salmon is to build up a golden crust on both sides. Don't worry too much about getting it perfectly cooked through, because you'll be adding it back into the pan with the sauce to heat it back through," he explained.
Another important step is basting the fillets in butter during frying. "Just wrap them in some gorgeous buttery goodness. This butter will also lightly brown, which adds a nice nutty flavour to the sauce," Collins added.
Garlic Butter Sauce Recipe
For those who enjoy a complementary sauce, Collins provided a simple garlic butter sauce recipe. The ingredients include butter, garlic, vegetable stock, and parsley. The method involves frying two finely diced garlic cloves in the same pan used for the salmon until they just begin to colour. Then, 120ml of vegetable stock is added to deglaze the pan, scraping off any flavourful bits. Five tablespoons of butter are whisked in until the mixture turns cloudy. Parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper are added to taste.
The sauce is simmered for a few minutes, stirring continuously, until it begins to thicken. The heat is then reduced to low, and the salmon is returned to the pan. The fillets are basted in the sauce to warm them through, then served with additional sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice. Collins noted that the sauce will thicken further as the salmon is basted.
