What could be better together than wild-caught salmon and kimchi!! Sautéing kimchi in butter and sesame oil brings out its mellower side: a delicious, cabbage-y sweetness. The kimchi is a perfect complement to the salmon and so simple to make!
Salmon and Kimchi Skillet
By Sarah DiGregorio for New York Times Cooking
Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 (16- ounce) jar cabbage kimchi chopped in bitesize pieces (about 2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 4 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, patted dry
- Salt
- Chopped scallions and sesame seeds, for topping (optional)
Preparation
Step 1 – Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter with the sesame oil in a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet over high heat.
Step 2 – When the butter’s foam subsides, add the kimchi with its liquid to the skillet. Stir in the sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has bubbled away and the kimchi has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. If the liquid simmers away quickly, before the kimchi has softened, decrease the heat to medium and stir often.
Step 3 – Season the salmon lightly with salt. Nestle the fillets in the skillet, skin-side down if your fillets are skin-on, spooning kimchi on top of the salmon. Roast in the oven for 6 minutes.
Step 4 – Turn the broiler to high. Put the skillet on a rack about 5 inches from the broiler heat source and broil, turning and checking the fish and kimchi once, until the kimchi gets very deeply browned in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve over rice and top with scallions and sesame seeds.
