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[quote=Anonymous]I make salmon all the time with a very simple method:
1. I purchase fresh skin-on "Atlantic salmon" filets - this is typically farm-raised. I think it's a lot more consistent and tastier than any frozen filets. I most often buy it from Giant or Aldi (I buy the entire side of 2lb salmon at Aldi) and it's usually $8-9/lb (at Giant, this is usually a sale price). I ALWAYS cook the salmon the day I purchase it...it gets fishier the older it gets. https://www.aldi.us/product/atlantic-salmon-side-per-lb-0000000000004089 
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the salmon on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Dry the top with paper towels. Salt with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. You don't need any oil (because the salmon is full of fat) or any seasonings...it's delicious just like this, trust me! 
If I add anything else it's a dry spice rub - something like Spice House's "Great North Maple Garlic" blend.
3. Bake for ~5-8 minutes. This will start to render the fat in the salmon, especially under the salmon skin, and make it pale pink. It's the broiling in the next step that finishes the salmon. You don't want to only broil because you need the whole oven hot for the bottom of the salmon to cook as well.
4. Then turn the broiler on high and broil until it starts to brown. It depends on your oven, but you want the fish on the top 1 or 2 positions...it usually takes another 5-8 minutes in my oven but YMMV. You want a few crispy edges and gentle browning with sizzling. Once it starts to brown it goes quickly so watch it with your oven light on. Usually all the rendered fat starts smoking a little too so you need to be right there watching it.
6. Take the salmon out of the oven and put it on your stove or a trivet to rest. I lift the edges of the foil to cover the edges the salmon leaving the center of the filet bare...this keeps it warm enough for carryover cooking without steaming it. There's usually 1/4 to 1/2 cup of rendered salmon fat in the pan...this is why you don't need to add oil to farm raised salmon.
7. Serve after about 8-10 minutes of resting. You'll end up with the salmon in the thickest part of the filet being cooked through but soft and not overcooked. The thinner edges of the filet will be cooked through and crispy...technically the edges are overcooked but they are salty and crispy and my family loves this part too. I serve with a fish spatula and portion it as a splits along large flakes. It will easily separate from the salmon skin...I leave that in the serving tray.

My favorite side dishes with salmon are basmati rice and a salad - either a green salad with vinaigrette (either lemon or red wine vinegar with salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic or garlic powder plus extra virgin olive oil) or a cucumber salad - just sliced cucumbers with scallions or thin slice sweet (vidalia) onion. I'll add thyme, chives or dill from my garden. The acid/sour in the vinaigrette really balances out the rich, fatty salmon. French green lentils are delicious with salmon, too.

IMO 99% of the time salmon dishes fail are from starting with frozen salmon which is just very tricky or inconsistent, overcooking or overcomplicating it.

You can also cook portioned salmon filets this way in an air fryer. No need to bake first because the air fryer cooks all sides of the fish. All you need is salt & pepper and maybe 6-8 minutes on broil or maybe 8-10 on air fry. Let it rest before serving. The skin sticks to the air fryer but I just separate the filets from the skin to serve and soak the air fryer after to clean. [/quote]

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