1. While the oven is heating to 400 °F with an empty iron skillet inside it, gently pat fillets dry, brush both sides with canola oil (to create a moisture barrier and hopefully prevent fish from drying out) and liberally apply salt and pepper.
2. Once oven is fully warmed, remove skillet and add more oil to the pan distributing around the pan evenly. Place fillets skin side down in the pan and return to the oven.
3. Bake for 6-7 minutes then open the oven just long enough to place 1 tablespoon of Epicurean Roasted Garlic Herb butter on top of each fillet.
4. Cook for 3-4 more minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 °F.
5. Baste fillets with any butter that has pooled in the pan.
6. Drizzle fresh lemon juice on the salmon and serve immediately.

Notes

Of course, you don’t need to cook your salmon in an iron skillet or even in the oven for that matter. Fish is versatile and can be cooked on the grill, stovetop, and even in the microwave.

We prefer the iron-skillet-in-the-oven method because it cooks fast and produces a flaky, moist salmon. Because you are placing the fish in a warm pan, the cooking time for this recipe is shorter than what you might see elsewhere. Because oven temperatures vary and because fish can easily dry out, it’s always best to keep a close eye on your salmon and remove it when the fillets are no longer transparent. You want a flaky, opaque salmon throughout.