A professionally trained French chef has unveiled his simple culinary secret for creating perfectly buttery, juicy, and tender salmon every single time. This method, which promises restaurant-quality results in your own kitchen, involves a clever technique and one special ingredient.
The Chef's Secret Technique
Joel Mielle, a former restaurant owner from the platform Recipe30, advocates for a two-part cooking process that transforms the humble salmon fillet. The key to his approach is cooking the salmon skin separately from the fish itself. This ensures the skin becomes incredibly crispy while the flesh of the salmon remains succulent and almost poached.
Joel explained his reasoning, stating, "I use this technique a lot and yes, it impresses my guests." He promises that baking the skins flat under a weight results in "the crispiest skin you will taste" on a salmon, creating a wonderful contrast with the tender fish.
The Magic of the Creamy Spinach Sauce
The second part of the chef's method is a rich, velvety sauce that crowns the salmon. While it contains classic ingredients like dry white wine, shallots, and double cream, the secret component is fresh spinach.
Joel Mielle elaborated on the sauce's role, saying, "I add fresh spinach to create a rich, velvety sauce with a delicate hint of tang." He insists that this creamy spinach accompaniment is what guarantees the salmon stays buttery and moist, perfectly complementing the dish without overpowering the fish's natural flavour.
How to Create the Perfect Salmon at Home
To replicate this dish, begin by preheating your oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas Mark 5. Carefully remove the salmon skins in one piece. Place them on a parchment-lined tray, brush with a little melted butter, season, and then cover with another sheet of parchment. Weigh them down with a heavy, oven-safe item to prevent curling and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and crisp.
While the skins are cooking, start the sauce. In a saucepan, reduce 120ml of dry white wine, a small chopped shallot, and half a squeeze of lemon until nearly dry. Mix in 180ml of double cream, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and season with salt and white pepper. Simmer gently for two minutes until slightly thickened, then stir in 60g of fresh, chopped spinach and let it wilt for just 30 seconds. Keep the sauce warm.
When the skins have about 10 minutes left, cook the salmon fillets. Season them and cook in a non-stick pan over very low heat with a tablespoon of unsalted butter. Cook covered with a lid for two to three minutes per side. Joel notes that the salmon should not brown at all, and the centre should remain slightly pink.
To serve, place the salmon fillets on warm plates, spoon the creamy spinach sauce generously over the top, and garnish with the crispy salmon skin. The chef suggests pairing this elegant main with boiled or steamed potatoes and a side of asparagus for a complete, restaurant-worthy meal.
