Lately I have had many a discussion with guests in the restaurant that I work for about searing.  “How in the world is this cooked?” they ask.  To which I reply - “Well duh! It’s pan roasted, can’t you see that golden skin that could only be the result of searing?!?”  I’ve only said this once and it was an outburst of my inner monologue to which my other more rational inner monologue replied – “Not everyone has gone to cooking school or spends hours geeking out about food and wine you jerk!”  It is these techniques that I take for granted from time to time and need to re-visit  and teach to others to really appreciate them again. So here goes….

Today I seared some king salmon for lunch and served it with a warm potato & corn salad that my better half made based on recipes from Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything” – a highly recommended book for any cook.  We watch his video blogs on the web every week; he’s super entertaining and has a very relaxed approach, but also practices great technique, which I admire.

The keys to a successful sear are few but important.
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1.Heat your oven to 375 or higher, the temperature is irrelevant but higher it is the smaller your margin for error in overcooking, so take it easy at the beginning.
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2. Next, you need a heavy bottomed sauté pan that is large enough to hold whatever protein you are searing.  Do not overcrowd the pan as this will hinder the sear due to excess moisture in the pan. The heavy bottom gives you consistent even heat and prevents hot spots and scorching.
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3. Use a high heat oil such as peanut or grapeseed, I’m a huge fan of peanut because I like the flavor.  Grapeseed will be pretty much flavorless.  Heat your pan over medium-high heat and then add your oil, enough to cover the bottom.  The oil should be smoking after about 10 seconds if your pan is hot enough.
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4. The next step is very important – take a paper towel and dry your protein.  This helps remove a lot of moisture that would prevent a good sear.  After drying make sure to liberally season with salt and/or pepper. Don’t be shy, a lot of it comes off during the cooking process.

5. Place the protein in the pan with the presenting side down, this being skin side down for skin-on fish or chicken, or the best looking side of whatever you are cooking. Be careful because the oil is HOT.  Let it cook on medium high for a minute and then turn it down to medium and let it go for a good 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness. Do not flip it. At this point throw it in the oven until it’s cooked to your liking. When you pull it out flip it and quickly sear the other side for 15 seconds or so just to finish the cooking and kill any bacteria that may be there.  Pull out of the pan and let rest, finish with sea salt and serve!