Pan Roasted Salmon Recipe

Make miso butter

In a small bowl, combine softened butter, miso paste, lemon juice, lemon zest, and soy sauce. Mix with a fork until fully incorporated and smooth. Taste and adjust—add a tiny pinch of salt only if needed (miso is salty). Transfer to plastic wrap, form into a small log or keep in bowl; chill briefly if you prefer a firmer butter.

Prep salmon

Pat salmon fillets very dry with paper towels. Season both sides and the skin lightly with kosher salt and black pepper. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes while you heat the pan.

Pan-roast salmon

Heat a large oven-safe skillet (cast-iron or stainless) over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs neutral oil and heat until shimmering but not smoking. Place salmon fillets skin-side down and press gently with a spatula for 10–15 seconds to ensure even contact. Cook skin-side down without moving for 4–5 minutes until skin is crisp and golden and the fish has cooked about two-thirds of the way up the side. Flip the fillets and add a spoonful of miso butter to the pan, tilting the pan to melt and baste the fillets for 30–45 seconds. If the fillets are thick, transfer the skillet to a 400°F (200°C) oven for 3–5 minutes to finish to desired doneness (internal temp ~125–130°F for medium-rare). Remove salmon to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil.

Cook kohlrabi and shiitake

While salmon rests, wipe the skillet if it's overly greasy, leaving any browned bits. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 tbs neutral oil. Add sliced garlic and ginger; cook 20–30 seconds until fragrant. Add kohlrabi matchsticks and shiitake slices. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, 4–6 minutes until kohlrabi is tender-crisp and mushrooms are browned.

Finish vegetables with spinach

Push vegetables to the side and add rice vinegar and sesame oil to deglaze briefly, scraping up brown bits. Add the baby spinach in batches, letting each wilt before adding more. Season with remaining salt and pepper to taste and sauté another 1 minute until spinach is just wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in half of the miso butter (about 2 tbs) so it melts through the vegetables for glossy flavor.

Divide the warm vegetable mixture between two plates. Place one salmon fillet atop each bed of vegetables, skin-side up. Top each fillet with a small pat of the reserved miso butter so it melts over the hot fish. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions over the dish and serve with a lemon wedge on the side for squeezing.