Notes to review before you commence:

• Salmon Quality Check: Ensure salmon smells clean (like the sea, not fishy), looks bright and shiny (not gray or dull), and is firm to the touch (not spongy). Run fingers against the scales to confirm proper scaling.
• Storage: Store salmon skin-side up in the fridge to allow air circulation and dry the skin, which is crucial for crispiness.
• Drying: Blot salmon thoroughly with paper towels before cooking. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin.
• Mise en Place: Prepare all ingredients (chop shallots, garlic, parsley, destem spinach) before starting to cook. This prevents multitasking and ensures a smooth cooking process.
• Knife Skills: Use the sharpest, largest knife available for portioning salmon to ensure clean cuts.
• Cooking Confidence: Do not be afraid of your pans, heat, or ingredients. Timid cooking leads to timid flavors.
• Pan Choice: A cast iron pan is excellent for a nice crust, but a nonstick or stainless steel pan can also be used.
• Preheat Pan: Always start cooking salmon in a hot pan; never a cold one.

Ingredients:

For the Salmon:

• 2 portions salmon (belly and loin)
• Salt, to taste
• Olive oil (unflavored or lightly flavored), enough to cover the base of the pan
• For the Lemon-Caper Brown Butter Sauce:
• Unsalted butter, quantity not specified
• Capers, quantity not specified
• Lemon juice, a nice big squeeze
• Dry white wine, a tiny splash
• Fresh parsley, roughly chopped

For the Dijon Spinach:

• Fresh butter, a nice dollop
• Shallots, chopped
• Garlic, 2 cloves, fresh and whole, peeled and chopped
• Fresh spinach, quantity not specified (a large amount will cook down)
• Salt, to taste
• Dry white wine, a glug (avoid sweet wines)
• Dijon mustard, a nice big dollop
• Lemon juice, a little bit
• Cracked pepper, a tiny bit

Instructions:

Prepare the Salmon:

1. Portion the salmon across the fish to ensure each piece includes both belly and loin.
2. Blot the salmon thoroughly with paper towels to remove all moisture, especially from the skin.
3. Season both sides of the salmon generously with salt from a height for even coating.

Cook the Salmon:

1. Heat your chosen pan (cast iron, nonstick, or stainless steel) until it is nice and hot. You can test by holding your hand near it.
2. Add olive oil to cover the base of the pan. Heat until it shimmers.
3. Turn the heat down slightly and carefully place the salmon, skin-side down, into the hot pan. It should sizzle immediately. If not, the pan isn’t hot enough.
4. Apply gentle pressure with your fingers (or a weight) onto the salmon to ensure even contact of the skin with the pan, promoting uniform crisping.
5. Cook without flipping. Once the salmon starts to cook up from the bottom, tilt the pan towards you and use a spoon to baste the thicker top side with the hot oil. Continue basting until the salmon reaches your desired doneness.
6. Once cooked, remove the salmon from the pan. Before making the sauce, remove some of the excess oil from the pan.
7. Let the salmon rest briefly to reabsorb moisture and soften the muscle structure.

Prepare the Lemon-Caper Brown Butter Sauce:

1. In the same pan (after removing excess oil), add unsalted butter. Cook over medium heat until the butter starts to caramelize and the milk solids turn nut brown, smelling like hazelnuts (beurre noisette).
2. Add capers to the brown butter. The moisture in the capers will stop the browning process.
3. Squeeze in a nice amount of lemon juice and a tiny splash of dry white wine. This acidity and liquid will further arrest the cooking process of the butter.
4. Transfer the sauce to a separate pan or bowl and set aside.
5. Just before serving, stir in the roughly chopped fresh parsley. Add it when the sauce is warm, not too hot, to keep the herb bright green.

Prepare the Dijon Spinach:

1. In a clean pan, add a nice dollop of fresh butter. As it melts, add the chopped shallots and garlic.
2. Add a little salt to the shallots and garlic to draw out moisture and begin cooking. Cook until aromatic and the raw flavor is removed, but not deeply caramelized.
3. Add the fresh spinach to the pan. It will look like a lot but will cook down quickly. Add a tiny bit of salt.
4. Let the spinach wilt by coming into contact with the pan. You can put a lid on it to speed up the process. Cook until it stops shrinking.
5. Add a glug of dry white wine, a nice big dollop of Dijon mustard, a little lemon juice, and a tiny bit of cracked pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Turn off the heat and set the spinach aside.

Plate and Serve:

1. Create a nice pool of the Dijon spinach on each plate.
2. Place the crispy-skin salmon elegantly next to the spinach, ensuring the crispy skin is exposed and not covered by sauce.
3. Spoon the lemon-caper brown butter sauce around the dish, over the spinach, and around the salmon, but avoid putting it directly on the crispy skin.
4. Serve immediately.

Other Information:

• Salmon Doneness: The ideal doneness for salmon is crispy skin with a little pink left in the middle. You can adjust the basting time to achieve your preferred level of doneness (rarer or cooked through).
• Serving Suggestion: A crusty baguette is recommended to soak up the delicious juices and sauce.