Pan-Fried Salmon with Garlic Butter Greens

Ingredients

• 🐟Salmon Fillet, skin on if possible2 fillet
• 🥬Baby Spinach120 g
• 🧄Garlic, finely minced2 clove
• 🧈Salted Butter1 tbsp
• 🍋Lemon, juice and zest1
• 🧂Sea Salt (fine)to taste
• 🧂Black Pepper (ground)to taste
• 🫒Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 tbsp

Contains Dairy, Fish, Garlic. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Dry the salmon

   Pat the Salmon Fillets dry on both sides with kitchen paper and leave them on the chopping board for a moment so the surface stops looking wet. This takes about 1 minute and the flesh should look satin-dry rather than slick; if you skip it, the skin steams instead of crisping.

   1 min
2. 2

   Season the fish

   Season both sides of the Salmon Fillets with the Sea Salt and Black Pepper, then rub the seasoning in lightly so it clings without forming a crust. It should look evenly speckled and ready to hit the skillet; if you leave a heavy pile of seasoning on top, it will fall off and scorch.

   1 min
3. 3

   Mince the garlic

   Peel the Garlic Cloves and mince them very finely on the chopping board so they almost disappear into the butter. Do this for about 1 minute until the pieces are tiny and fragrant; if the bits are chunky, they are more likely to catch and turn bitter in the skillet.

   1 min
4. 4

   Zest and juice lemon

   Use the sharp knife and your hands to loosen the Lemon, then zest the yellow skin and cut it open so the juice is ready to pour. This should take about 2 minutes and leave you with fragrant zest and a bright, juicy cut lemon; if you hit the white pith, the zest will taste harsh.

   2 min
5. 5

   Heat the skillet

   Set a large skillet over medium-high heat with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and let it warm for about 1 minute until it shimmers and slides easily across the base. The oil should look fluid and just start to ripple; if it smokes hard, lift the skillet off the heat for a moment so the salmon does not scorch on contact.

   1 min
6. 6

   Sear the salmon

   Lay the Salmon Fillets skin-side down into the hot skillet, pressing them flat with a fish spatula for a few seconds so the skin makes full contact. Leave them undisturbed for about 4 minutes until the skin turns deep golden and the edges of the flesh turn opaque; if they resist when you nudge them, give them another 20 seconds rather than forcing a flip.

   4 min
7. 7

   Flip and finish salmon

   Turn the Salmon Fillets over gently and cook them flesh-side down for about 1 minute until the top is just opaque and the centre still looks moist and lightly translucent. If the fillets are thick, spoon a little hot oil over the top as they finish; this helps the heat move evenly without drying the surface.

   1 min
8. 8

   Wilt the greens

   Lift the salmon to a plate and add the Baby Spinach to the same skillet, tossing it with the hot oil and fish juices for about 1 minute until it collapses into glossy dark-green ribbons. Stir it gently with the fish spatula so it does not clump; if it looks dry, it needs only a brief toss, not more heat.

   1 min
9. 9

   Add garlic butter

   Add the Salted Butter and Garlic Clove to the spinach in the skillet and stir constantly for about 30 seconds until the butter melts into a glossy coat and the garlic smells sweet rather than raw. Keep the heat at medium so the garlic turns fragrant but not brown; if it starts catching, move the skillet off the heat and stir for a few seconds.

   1 min
10. 10

    Finish with lemon

    Squeeze in the Lemon juice and toss the greens for about 15 seconds until they taste brighter and the butter turns lightly emulsified instead of greasy. The skillet should smell fresh and lemony, and the greens should look glossy rather than wet; if the flavour still feels flat, add the zest straight over the top before plating.

    1 min
11. 11

    Plate and serve

    Spoon the garlic butter greens onto plates and set the Salmon Fillets on top, keeping the crisp skin facing up so it stays crunchy. Serve straight away while the fish is still juicy and the greens are warm and silky; if you let it sit in the skillet, the skin softens from the trapped steam.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving