Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Salmon
Olive Tapenade
To Finish / Optional
Method
Olive Tapenade
Prep and pulse
Place Kalamata olives, green olives, drained capers, garlic cloves, and parsley in a food processor. Pulse in 6–8 short bursts until the mixture is coarsely chopped but not a paste; you want a slightly chunky texture.
Add lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and black pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and pulse once or twice to combine. Taste and add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil if mixture seems too dry. Adjust seasoning: add a pinch of salt only if necessary (Kalamata and capers are salty). Transfer tapenade to a small bowl and cover; let sit at room temperature while you cook the salmon to allow flavors to meld.
Salmon
Bring salmon to room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking. Pat fillets dry with paper towels, especially the skin side; this promotes crispy skin.
Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Lightly brush the flesh side with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.
Pan-sear method (recommended)
Heat a large nonstick or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat. Place salmon fillets skin-side down in the pan, gently pressing each fillet for 10 seconds so the skin makes full contact. Reduce heat to medium. Cook skin-side down, undisturbed, for 4–6 minutes depending on thickness (about 1" thick = ~5 minutes) until the skin is crisp and the cooked flesh has risen about two-thirds of the way up the fillet.
Flip the fillets carefully and cook flesh-side for 30–90 seconds more for medium-rare to medium, or 2–3 minutes for well-done. Internal temperature should read 120–125°F (49–52°C) for medium-rare, 125–135°F (52–57°C) for medium when measured at the thickest part.
Remove salmon to a warm plate skin-side down, tent loosely with foil and rest for 2–3 minutes. While resting, squeeze a little lemon juice over each fillet to brighten the flavor.