Perfectly Pan-seared Salmon

Pan searing salmon is remarkably simple. Here is the wisdom my fiancee's grandma gave to her, which she passed on to me:

1. Pat dry the salmon fillet with a paper towel. You don't want too much extra liquid in there.
2. Cover the top and bottom of the fillet with cracked black pepper. Be generous with the pepper, you don't want to see pink sticking through. Sprinkle on some good salt. By good, I mean kosher and sea salt.
3. Use lots of butter. Butter the skillet before heating it up, but then also put a little butter under the fillet right when you put it in and right when you flip it.
4. Cook it until the color change goes all the way to the middle, but as soon as it does that, take it off. Don't cook too long!



Here I put the fillet on toasted wheat bread, served with fresh tomato, lettuce, and spicy mustard. The acid in the tomato worked like a lemon might, so it was great. If you're not in the mood for a sandwich, I recommend serving the fillet with a side of rice and sauteed green beans.