Pan-Fried Salmon (Served Two Ways)

Here we have two different pan-fried salmon recipes. The salmon is cooked the same way for both and then just served/finished in different ways.

The first is served with quinoa, broccoli and a Greek yoghurt dip/sauce and the second is done with tomato, corn and a creamy sauce spaghetti.

Ingredients (For The Salmon – Per Fillet)

  • Salmon fillet
  • 2tbsp Lemon juice (fresh is best but pre-prepared bottled works too)
  • Red chili flakes
  • 2 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1tbsp Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method (For The Salmon)

  1. Heat olive oil in a skillet on a medium-high heat
  2. Add garlic cloves and cook for a couple of minutes
  3. Add red chili flakes
  4. Salt and pepper the skin on the salmon
  5. Place salmon skin side down in the skillet
  6. Add lemon juice to the salmon and reduce heat to medium
  7. Have a little patience and let the salmon skin crisp up, resist lifting it up too much to check on it as otherwise you risk breaking the skin or creating a fresh layer of ‘moisture’ that stops it from crisping up
  8. Once you achieve your ‘crispy’ preference flip the salmon over and continue to cook until the salmon is hot throughout

Ingredients (For The Quinoa Dish – Per Fillet)

  • 1/3 Cup Quinoa (I used tri-color quinoa, make sure to follow any packet tips for pre-cooking prep as some quinoas need soaking and/or rinsing in advance)
  • 2/3 Cup Water
  • Broccoli (Knock your socks off with how much of this you want)
  • 2tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • 2tbsp Chopped chives
  • 2tbsp Chopped parsley
  • 1tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1/2tbsp Red chili flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method (For The Quinoa Dish)

  1. Add quinoa to boiling lightly salted water in a saucepan, cover with a lid and bring to a simmer for approximately 15 minutes. I found I had to add a splash more water after tasting as the quinoa was still a little too ‘crunchy’ for my personal preference so be sure to check it and adjust accordingly here
  2. Meanwhile mix your yoghurt, lemon juice, herbs, spices and pepper together
  3. When you have about five minutes left for your quinoa put it in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water. I usually only leave it in there for three minutes before draining it as I like it to have a crunch but this again depends on floret size and personal preference so you might need to tweak it slightly
  4. Serve the quinoa and broccoli, add the salmon and finally the yoghurt

Ingredients (For The Spaghetti Dish – Per Fillet)

  • 2oz/50g Dried spaghetti (you can measure this by placing the amount on a US quarter/UK 10p)
  • 1 Large roma tomato diced
  • 2 Garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1tbsp lemon juice
  • 3tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • 1tbsp sour cream
  • 4oz/100g corn (this is about a 1/3 of a ‘normal’ tin once drained)
  • 2tbsp Chopped chives
  • 2tbsp Chopped parsley
  • 1/2tbsp Red chili flakes (less if you aren’t keen on that ‘punch’ of heat – especially given the inclusion with the salmon itself)

Method (For The Spaghetti Dish)

  1. Bring some lightly salted water to a boil in a saucepan and add the spaghetti. Follow packet instructions for cooking time but aim to do it on the al dente side
  2. In a skillet, I use the one the salmon was cooked in and sometimes add these ingredients as the salmon is finishing cooking after flipping post-skin crisping, add the garlic, tomato and corn
  3. (if you put it in the skillet with the salmon take the salmon out here)
  4. Add the drained spaghetti and give it all a mix together here. Drop the skillet temperature to low
  5. Add lemon juice, red chili flakes, chives, parsley, Greek yoghurt and sour cream and give another quick mix through before removing from the heat
  6. Give another few mixes to make sure everything is incorporated before serving and placing the salmon on top

Eating And Storage Tips

Salmon: Try to just cook what you need. This doesn’t reheat particularly well, especially to keep the skin crispy. If you do have leftovers find a dish to be able to break it up to put into; perhaps as a wrap for lunch

Spaghetti: If you found yourself with too much spaghetti avoid adding it all to the skillet as with the inclusion of the Greek yoghurt and sour cream the coated spaghetti doesn’t tend to reheat very well, even with an extra splash of water or lemon juice, in the microwave or a pan. This way you can use the plain spaghetti for something else over the next day or two; Perhaps just a quick reheat with a dash of water so it doesn’t get all claggy and clumped together and melting some grated cheese on it for a super quick lunch

For the yoghurt mix: You could make this up in a storage box by upping the quantity and being able to put it into the fridge for a couple of days