Half-cooked Salmon Recipe

Prepare salmon

Remove salmon from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking. Pat fillets dry with paper towels. Score the skin lightly if very thick. Season flesh side evenly with 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Set up pan

Heat a large nonstick or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot (about 2–3 minutes). Add 2 tbs neutral oil and swirl to coat.

Sear skin

Place salmon fillets skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for 10–15 seconds to ensure full skin contact. Cook skin-side down for 2 minutes without moving to achieve a crisp skin.

Half-cook and baste

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tbs unsalted butter to the pan and tilt the pan slightly; spoon melted butter and oil over the flesh repeatedly for 30–45 seconds. Flip the fillets and cook the flesh side for 20–45 seconds — just long enough to bring the interior temperature toward rare-to-medium-rare but remain slightly underdone (half-cooked). Remove from heat. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over the fillets and tent loosely with foil while finishing potatoes.

Cook potatoes

Place new potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with 800 ml water. Add 1 tsp fine sea salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until just tender when pierced with a knife, about 12–15 minutes depending on size. Drain well and return potatoes to the warm pot off heat to let excess steam evaporate for 1–2 minutes.

Finish potatoes

While potatoes are hot, gently halve or leave whole if very small. Add 1 tbs unsalted butter, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup sour cream (or crème fraîche) to the potatoes. Stir gently to coat — you want creamy, slightly rustic potatoes, not a purée. Stir in 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or a few drops of liquid smoke), lemon zest (1/2 tsp), 3 tbs chopped fresh dill and 1 tbs chopped chives. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Divide warm dill & smoked cream potatoes among four plates.

Place one half-cooked salmon fillet on each bed of potatoes, skin-side up to keep crispness.

Spoon any loose buttery pan juices over the salmon and potatoes. Garnish each plate with a dill sprig and an optional light drizzle (1 tsp total per plate) of good olive oil. Serve immediately so salmon remains tender and slightly underdone inside.