Seared Salmon Fillet with Mustard Mayo Sauce

Salmon is one of the most versatile fish used in various cuisines. Its hearty texture can sustain different ways of cooking such as steaming, searing, and even barbecuing. Don't even mention salmon's high omega-3 fatty acid, which has been proven the effect on lowering the chances of stroke and blood pressure. In addition, there are mostly big bones in salmon, even an unskilled fish eater like me can feel sound and safe while enjoying the fish.

My mom always prepares simple seared salmon for me when I was little. Basically season the salmon with some salt, drizzle just a little bit of oil, toss in some garlic cloves along with the salmon in the pan. The fish is ready once the it is just about fully cooked and the skin turns crunchy. I'm taking the same concept and bringing it up a notch by serving the fish with mustard mayo sauce. 


Ingredients?

• 0.8 to 1 lb of salmon fillets
• 3 tablespoons of Japanese mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon of mustard (preferably coarse grain mustard)
• Some sea salt
• Some freshly ground black pepper
• Some olive oil
• Some mixed salad greens (optional)

How?

The sauce is fairly easy, just mix the Japanese mayonnaise with mustard till smooth. Use coarse grain mustard if a stronger kick is preferred.

Score the fillets to help the meat gets cooked through more easily. Season the fish fillets with just a small pinch of salt and regular amount of black pepper on both sides. 

Use a nonstick pan, drizzle just enough oil to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Turn to medium high heat and wait till the temperature rises, about 20 seconds. Add in the fish, skin side down first. Sear both sides for about 2 to 3 minutes depending on the thickness. 

If you're using very thick fillet, it might be better to adjust to medium heat and sear each side for a little bit longer. You can also cover the pan with a lid so the center of the meat can get cooked through faster and more evenly. 

Arrange the salad greens and transfer the fish over. Only very little amount of olive oil was used when searing the fish, so all the extra grease in the pan are in fact good fatty fish oil. Drizzle these goodies onto the salad greens. Also add some mustard mayo sauce over the seared salmon or serve on the side. 

It's good to have some oil to eat along with salad greens, this way the nutrition can be better absorbed in our digestive system. So don't be afraid to use the oil in the pan. After all, these omega-3 fatty acid is one of the main reasons why we love salmon so much right?