Farm-raised salmon fillets sear quickly to a crisp skin and tender flesh, ready in under twenty minutes. The pan builds a simple butter sauce with lemon while the fish cooks. This is a shelf dinner that tastes like you spent more time than you did.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 950 calories a serving, 82 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 65 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Pat two 6-ounce salmon fillets dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming, then lay the salmon skin-side up in the pan. Cook for 4 minutes without moving, until the underside is golden and crisp.4 min
2. Flip the fillets skin-side down, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 3 more minutes while you mince 1 garlic clove. The fish is done when it flakes gently at the thickest part.3 min
3. Transfer the salmon to plates. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the minced garlic to the pan, swirl for 30 seconds until fragrant, then squeeze in juice from half a lemon. Spoon the warm butter sauce over both fillets and serve at once.

Note Swap salmon for any white fish fillet of similar thickness. Leftovers keep for two days cold, flaked into a salad or stirred into rice. Serve with steamed green vegetables or a simple grain pilaf.