- 2 cups coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 (1 1/4-pound) center-cut piece salmon fillet
- Spread salt evenly in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) and heat over moderately high heat until salt is hot to the touch and just beginning to smoke, about 4 minutes.
- Pat salmon dry and season flesh with salt and pepper, then put, skin side down, on salt. Cook salmon, covered, without turning, until almost cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until salmon is just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slide a spatula between salmon skin and flesh and transfer salmon to a platter (salmon skin will be too salty to eat).