Salmon Oreganato Recipe

Prepare salmon

Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Check for pin bones and remove with tweezers if present. Leave skin on; it helps hold the fillet together during cooking.

Make marinade

In a shallow bowl or large zip-top bag combine 4 tbs olive oil, 3 tbs lemon juice, minced garlic, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tbs chopped fresh oregano, 1.25 tsp salt and 0.75 tsp black pepper. Whisk or shake until combined.

Marinate

Place the salmon in the bowl or bag and turn to coat thoroughly. Marinate at room temperature for 15–20 minutes or refrigerate up to 30 minutes. Do not marinate much longer — the acid can firm the fish too much.

Preheat and pan setup

Heat a large skillet (preferably ovenproof) over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tbs olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. If using a nonstick skillet, use medium heat to avoid damaging the coating.

Sear salmon

Remove salmon from the marinade and let excess drip off. Place fillets skin-side down in the hot skillet, spacing them so they don’t touch. Press gently for 10 seconds with a spatula to ensure even contact. Sear skin-side down 4–5 minutes until the skin is crisp and the fish is cooked about two-thirds of the way up the sides.

Finish in oven or on stove

If your skillet is ovenproof and you prefer a slightly more even finish, transfer to a preheated 200°C / 400°F oven for 4–6 minutes for medium doneness (internal temp ~54–57°C / 130–135°F). Alternatively, reduce heat to medium-low, flip the fillets skin-side up and cook 2–4 minutes on the stove until desired doneness.

Make quick pan sauce (optional)

After removing the cooked salmon to a warm plate, return the skillet to medium heat. Add 60 ml white wine (or stock) to deglaze, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Simmer 1–2 minutes to reduce slightly, then whisk in 1 tbs cold butter off the heat to thicken and gloss the sauce. Spoon sauce over salmon.

Garnish and serve

Zest 1 tbs lemon over the fillets, sprinkle with chopped parsley if using, and serve with lemon wedges. Taste and add a final pinch of salt or pepper as desired.