Salmon Fillet with Tarragon Cream Sauce

by Hugo Vino

Everybody knows how to cook a fillet of salmon, right? Here, I give you my own technique, which ensures the fish is uniformly cooked, doesn't fall apart and looks nice on the plate. A small, nicely cooked salmon fillet can be used to build a complex and gorgeous plate (for example, serve the fillet on pressed rice and top it with a slice of saffron-butter pan-seared scallop).

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh Salmon or other hearty fish
1 recipe Tarragon Cream Sauce

Prepping Fish: Buy your salmon fillet with the skin. Make sure there are no more fish-bones (gently rub the fish with your thumb and remove any fish-bone with clean long-nose pliers). Cut the fillet in 2 squares (ideally, less than 6 inches large). Next, use a sharp knife to scale the fish. Hold the fish firmly with one hand, and rub the knife vigourously, with the blade vertical. Keep changing direction until you get a grip on the scales. Once all the scales are gone, rinse the fish under cold water to wash the sticky scales off, then pat it dry using paper towels. Make sure the fish is clean (you don't want to choke your guests).

...Or: Buy fish from the butcher already dressed and ready to use.

Seasoning the Fish: Add salt and pepper to the fillets. Pour a little bit of white flour (about 1 teaspoon per fillet) and rub it on the fish flesh (it will help it hold together when you grill it.

Cooking the Fish: Pour some cooking oil (no more than 1/8 inch) in a cast iron pan (or any heavy pan). Set temperature to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, cook the fish for 5-7 minutes, skin down. Turn the fillet around and cook for 5 minutes. The fish should be grilled on both sides, thoroughly cooked but still moist at the center.

Wipe the excess oil from the salmon. Top the perfectly cooked salmon fillet with Tarragon Cream Sauce. Nice with grilled or boiled vegetables (I served it with grilled mini pattypans and sliced carrots), rice or couscous.