3. Use a really hot pan. A hot pan and high heat don't necessarily go hand in hand. Keep the flame around medium to medium-high, but before anything touches the pan, let it get hot -- like, really hot. After, pour in a thin layer of oil and heat until it shimmers. Then add the fish and let it do its thing.

Start with the fillets skin-side down

While the salmon will cook on both sides, the process should always start by adding the fish to the pan skin-side down. The skin is tough and durable, and can withstand more time on the hot surface of the pan without overcooking.

Trust and the waiting game

This is arguably the hardest part of cooking pan-seared salmon. Once the fish hits the pan, the very best course of action is to step away (but not too far) and let it do its thing. It might take some serious willpower, but you need to trust the process -- no touching, no poking or prodding, and no moving the fillet around. You'll be tempted to lift the fish or move it around the pan to see how it's coming along, but the very best thing you can do is to keep your hands off and wait.

Let the visual cues guide you

When pan-searing, the bulk of the cooking takes place while the salmon is skin-side down. After it's been cooking for a few minutes, you'll start to notice the color of the fillet slowly begin to change. Starting from the bottom, where the skin touches the pan, and working its way upward along the sides of the fillets, you'll see the flesh lighten from deep, dark pink to a much more pale color.

This change in the color of the flesh will act as your indicator for how the cooking process is progressing. Once the color change has moved up about three-quarters of the way from the bottom, it's time to flip. Since the bulk of cooking has already happened, the salmon will cook for a couple minutes more after flipping it flesh-side down. What you'll get is a tender and flaky piece of salmon, cooked perfectly to medium, with super-crispy skin.

Pan-Seared Salmon Fillets

Makes 2 fillets

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