Crispy Salmon Sandwiches with Spicy Lemon Tartar Sauce

I can’t completely take credit for these Crispy Salmon Sandwiches with Spicy Lemon Tartar Sauce. I made seared salmon for dinner the other night, and when my 17-year old came up for dinner, he eyed the pan and promptly headed for the pantry. When I asked him what he was looking for, he emerged holding up a package of fluffy buns. “Oooh,” I said. “Good idea!”

It was a good idea. The crisp crunch of the salmon with the creamy sauce, atop a soft, pillowy roll? Divine. “You should put this on your blog,” he said. Such a smart kid.

Let’s talk a minute about salmon. I’m pretty careful about the types of fish I buy, sticking almost exclusively to non-endangered, wild-caught varieties. I used to buy wild salmon, but man, you guys – it’s tough to cook. And I do mean tough – literally. Wild salmon varieties like coho and sockeye are so lean that they can dry out within minutes and leave you with dry, stringy fillets.

Farmed salmon, on the other hand, has a higher fat content, which means rich flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. But having read about the horrors of farmed salmon, I have been reluctant to buy it. Luckily, our local markets are now offering more responsibly farmed options – some from the U.S., some from Norway or other countries – and I’ve had great luck with them.

It took me a while to figure out how to get that lovely crisp sear on my salmon. You know what I mean: the kind you get in good restaurants, where the filet has a crispy brown top that gives way to a moist, flaky interior.

There are two keys to getting a really beautiful crust on your fillets. First, start with dry, well-salted salmon (I use paper towels to pat the fillets dry and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt). Secondly, using plenty of high-heat oil (I use avocado oil) in a sufficiently hot pan . If you have a cast iron pan, this is an excellent use for it, as the thick metal heats thoroughly and evenly, providing the ideal foundation for achieving a gorgeous, even sear. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of oil – I use about a quarter-cup for three medium fillets – and leave the salmon to cook undisturbed until the fillets are evenly brown and lift easily from the pan with a spatula.

Speaking of spatulas, I highly recommend this flexible fish spatula for cooking fish and everything else. It’s one of my most-used kitchen tools.

Next up, the sauce. The salmon is totally amazing on its own, but the sauce? It’s next level. It’s a take on tartar sauce, amped up with plenty of fresh zesty lemon, a generous squirt of spicy hot sauce, and a little pickle relish for a sweet tangy undertone. These zesty flavors work so well with the butteriness of the salmon.

You can eat the salmon bread-free, naturally, but if you do go for the roll, I highly suggest making it a high-quality one. I buy brioche rolls from Whole Foods; if you have a good local bakery, nothing rivals fresh-baked brioche.

Enjoy! I’m off to consult my kid about what we should make next week.

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