How To Properly Dry Salmon For Crispy Skin

Achieving that delicate balance of a moist interior and crispy exterior of a salmon is difficult. It is far too easy to end up with a filet that's as dry as a dessert or, on the other end, disturbingly mushy. When you also consider that mysterious white stuff you see on salmon as it cooks, you might quickly determine that salmon might prove to be a more fickle fish than anticipated. But don't give up on this delicious fish. One easy thing you can do to ensure your salmon is crispy on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside is dry it properly.

In fact, not patting your salmon dry before you cook is actually one of the most common mistakes you are making when cooking salmon. Executive Chef Kory Foltz of Sunseeker Resort shared his expertise on the best way to dry salmon so that its skin is perfectly crispy once it is cooked, and it's perfectly simple. "Best way to dry salmon prior to cooking is to use paper towels and soak up the outside moisture of the filet, then let it rest on a wire rack for a few minutes," recommends Foltz.

Once you've taken Foltz's advice and dried the salmon with paper towels, be sure to resist the temptation to just toss the salmon into the oven or onto the grill after you have patted it dry. While letting the filet rest on a wire rack might seem like a skippable step when in a rush, those few extra minutes will make a major difference when it comes time to enjoy the filet. "This will allow any remaining moisture to evaporate," explains Foltz.

Ensuring excess moisture dissipates before cooking the filet is key to the perfect crisp on the skin. "Drying salmon will get you an amazing crust and is wonderful if you like the skin," Foltz elaborates. If a filet is not dried beforehand, the excess moisture will be drawn out during the cooking process, making it harder to achieve that dreamy crisp on salmon skin. Ensuring your salmon is properly dried is also similar to grilling methods that keep salmon from sticking to the grates; getting rid of that extra moisture makes your salmon less likely to stick to your cooking apparatus.