Crispy Skin Salmon with Butternut Squash Caponata

I have a very important question — are you team crispy skin salmon?? I for one am ALL about it and this method for cooking salmon results in the crispiest skin and a perfectly cooked piece of fish. This week’s Tuesday Tutorial was epic because it combined two of my all-time favorite things: this crispy skin salmon and caponata.

Caponata is pure bliss. It’s a Sicilian relish that usually involves eggplant but this version features butternut squash and it’s the perfect combination of savory, sweet, briny, salty and acidic. It’s SUCH a well-balanced dish and I love how each bite is so complex and flavorful. If you’re not into salmon, it’s just as delicious served atop crusty grilled bread with lots of good olive oil…thank me later!

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

For the Butternut Squash Caponata:

• 1 large butternut squash, cut into small dice

• Olive oil

• Kosher salt

• 1/3 cup golden raisins

• Red wine vinegar

• 2 large shallots, cut into small dice

• 2 stocks celery, cut into small dice

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 tsp tomato paste

• 2 Tbsp tomato puree

• 2 Tbsp capers

• 2 Tbsp pine nuts

• 2 Tbsp minced parsley

For the Crispy Salmon:

• 4 skin-on salmon filets (3-4 ounces per filet)

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Avocado oil (or any other neutral, high-heat oil such as grapeseed oil)

METHOD

1. Make the Caponata:

   1. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the diced butternut squash with kosher salt and olive oil to coat and transfer to the oven to cook until just tender, about 12-15 minutes.

   2. While the squash is baking, transfer the golden raisins to a bowl and add enough red wine vinegar to just submerge them. Set on the stove or in any warm place to plump up for about 15 minutes.

   3. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add enough olive oil just to barley coat the bottom of the pan along with the diced shallots and a big pinch of salt. Cook until the shallot begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add in the diced celery and honey and sauté another 2-3 minutes until the celery has begun to soften.

   4. Add in the cinnamon and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute until you can smell the spices. Add in the tomato paste and tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the raw tomato flavor has cooked off.

   5. At this point, your butternut squash should be out of the oven. Transfer it straight from the sheet tray to the pan with the celery/shallot mixture along with the capers, pine nuts and plumped up golden raisins (leave the red wine vinegar they were soaking in behind but reserve it for the next step). Stir to combine and shut off the heat.

   6. Add salt and the reserved red wine vinegar, to taste. I usually end up adding a pinch of salt (the capers will add nice saltiness!) and ~2 tsp of the vinegar.

   7. Set the pan of Caponata aside. You can either serve warm with the salmon or enjoy it room temperature!

2. Make the Crispy Salmon:

   1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F. If you have time, transfer your 12-inch non-stick stainless steel skillet to the oven for 10 minutes to get really hot.

   2. Meanwhile, season the salmon. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel and season generously on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Lightly coat all sides with the oil, using your fingers to evenly distribute it.

   3. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully transfer it to the stove over high heat. Immediately place the pieces of seasoned salmon in the ripping hot pan, skin-side down. Gently press down the fish to ensure the entire surface area of the skin is touching the pan. Note: if your salmon is on the leaner side, add a little bit of oil to the pan as well.

   4. Cook the salmon for 2 minutes over the stove then transfer to the oven (don’t flip yet!) to cook for 5-7 minutes. Cook time will depend on the thickness of your salmon and your oven. You’ll know it’s ready when the top of the fish is just opaque and you can no longer see and rawness on top.

   5. Transfer back to the stove and flip the fish over to just “kiss” the flesh side for 20 seconds. Serve the salmon skin-side up (to prevent the skin from getting soggy!) over a bed of the caponata and enjoy!

NOTES

• Here are the keys to a perfectly crispy piece of fish:

1. Pat your fish dry with a paper towel before seasoning with salt and pepper and season RIGHT before cooking. Salt draws out moisture and moisture inhibits browning. If you salt your fish and allow it to sit for too long on the countertop before cooking, the salt will create little beads of water on the surface of the fish and will interfere with even, maximum browning.

2. When you add the fish to the pan, press down gently on top of it to ensure the full surface area of the skin is making contact with the pan.

3. Cook the fish for the majority of the time on its skin side. This results in the crispiest skin ever.

4. Cook over a flame for a couple of minutes before transferring to the oven. The direct flame will help in crisping up the skin.

5. Avoid overcrowding the pan. The four pieces of fish should fit nicely with a little space between them in a 12-inch pan but you can use multiple pans, if needed.