Name: Spicy pan-fried salmon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Ingredients: ½ tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp dried thyme; ½ tsp caster sugar; ¼ tsp hot smoked paprika; ¼ tsp ground black pepper; ¼ tsp salt; 3 salmon fillets (approx 125-150g each); Wedges of lemon (optional); Chopped vegetable salad to serve (optional)

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An easy home-made spice blend elevates this spicy pan-fried salmon into something special. A delicious family dinner ready in less than 15 minutes!

The weather was grotty, grey and rainy. When it’s grim outside I often fancy something spicy, to cheer me up. This spicy salmon really hits the spot, especially when paired with a zesty vegetable salad alongside.

This spice blend is loosely based on a cajun spice mix, although it isn’t so fiery. Although DH complained that the spicy salmon wasn’t hot enough! I thought it was just right. If you like it hotter, use more hot smoked paprika, or add a dash of cayenne.

My daughter Kipper was keen to help make this, although her enthusiasm didn’t actually make it as far as the kitchen. Distracted by some urgent playing that needed doing. She was very keen to eat it though, and polished off a whole portion – once we’d persuaded her to taste it!

We ate our spicy salmon with brown rice and a chopped vegetable salad. The chopped salad was dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, and provided a sharp foil to the spicy, oily fish. Any slightly acidic salad or salsa would go well, I think.

This amount of spice would cover 2 or 3 fillets of salmon. You can easily scale up the recipe if you need to feed more people.

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📖 Recipe

Spicy pan-fried salmon

Serves 3

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 13

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Calories 257 kcal

Ingredients

½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon caster sugar
¼ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
3 salmon fillets (approx 125-150g each)
Wedges of lemon (optional)
Chopped vegetable salad to serve (optional)

Instructions

Combine the herbs, spices, salt and sugar. Spread the spice mix over the salmon fillets and rub to cover both sides.
Heat a heavy frying pan over a medium flame. Place the salmon fillets in the pan, and fry for 2-4 minutes per side. When the fish is cooked it will naturally 'release' from the pan and you can turn it over. The fish is ready when the spicy coating is charring in places, and the flesh is 'done' to your liking.
Serve hot with wedges of lemon and a zesty salad or salsa!