Photo: Jacek Chabraszewski (Shutterstock)
Coming from a catfish-eating family, I never had much to do with salmon until I moved to the Pacific Northwest. The two fish couldn’t be more different in texture, taste or method of preparation, but finally, at almost 35 years old, I found out my favorite way to cook salmon, and that was with the air fryer.
I’ll catch up with you, the air fryer doesn’t necessarily do a “better” job than your normal, large oven – it just does it faster and with less energy. If you’re making salmon for a family of five, you’d be better off sticking to a large oven, but if you want some salmon for one, this is the method for you.
What makes this salmon really great, however, is the combination of the efficient air fryer with a quick pre-cooked dry brine. I’ve talked about it this method But just 15 minutes hanging in a mixture of sugar and salt will add flavor to your fist and remove excess moisture, giving it a firmer, bouncy texture. It adds a quarter of an hour to your prep time, but it’s handy prep time, so who cares.
How to cook salmon in your air fryer
All you have to do is skin a salmon fillet and coat it with a tingling mixture of two parts salt: one part sugar. Let this hang for 15 minutes, then rinse the fish under cold running water and pat dry. Rub a little olive oil on both sides of your fist – just enough to coat – and cook in a 385 degree deep fryer for 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of the fillet (the end should peel slightly and the top should be slightly tanned)).
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It may seem too simple, but the dry brine is all you need. You can include some spices if you want, but make sure you apply them before the oil as this layer of fat can help keep them from burning. I usually keep it simple with the dry brine and then add extra flavor with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon or. added this compound butterwhich I finished my fish with last night. Actually, I’m going to insist that you try the compound butter before anything else. (Although I originally developed the caper-sprinkled finishing fat for steaks, I think it’s even better for a piece of fish.)
