Go Fish

Sockeye Salmon was on sale at Whole Foods for just $10.99 per pound, which is fabulous, because it's usually close to $20+ per pound. So while I walked into the store thinking of shrimp, I walked out with a neatly wrapped paper package of richly red and beautifully marbled sockeye.

I'm a sucker for crisp skin on just about anything, so since the salmon had gorgeous silver-and-charcoal skin, I decided on a quick sear. The trick here is getting the salmon to room temperature, and making sure the skin is super-dry. I slid the fillets into a hot, nonstick skillet skin-side down. Then, borrowing a tip I saw on Anne Burrel's great Food Network show, I placed an oiled skillet on top of the fish to weigh it down. After it was mostly cooked, I flipped it and let it cook for only a minute or so. The result was crisp, nicely browned skin and perfectly cooked salmon.

I served the salmon over a simple mix of fluffy couscous (1 cup uncooked+1 cup broth), sauteed zucchini and green onions (2 each, chopped), and lots of chopped fresh dill (about 3 tablespoons) for a light, summery supper.