Air Fryer Recipe
Crispy Salmon Skin Chips
Salmon skin, often overlooked, becomes a delightful snack when cooked to crisp perfection. The air fryer is ideal for this task, as it circulates hot air evenly, rendering fat and drying the skin without the need for a pan full of oil.
Ingredients
- Skin from 4 salmon fillets, about 120–160g in total, scaled and bones removed if attached
- 1 tsp neutral oil, such as rapeseed or sunflower oil
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika, optional
- ¼ tsp garlic granules, optional
- ½ tsp sesame seeds, optional
- Finely grated zest of ½ lemon, optional, added after cooking
Method
- Check the salmon skin is scaled. Run the back of a knife gently against the grain of the skin; if silvery scales flick off, scrape until the surface feels smooth, then rinse quickly and pat dry.
- Place the skin flesh-side up on a board and scrape away any thick, soft salmon flesh with the back of a knife. Leave a very thin film if it clings, but remove obvious orange ridges.
- Dry the skin thoroughly between sheets of kitchen paper, pressing rather than rubbing. If time allows, leave it uncovered in the fridge on a plate for 20–30 minutes.
- Cut the skin into strips about 3cm wide or into rough bite-sized pieces.
- Toss the pieces with 1 tsp oil, salt, pepper and any dry spices.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C for 3 minutes if your model recommends preheating.
- Lay the skin in a single layer, skin-side down if you can identify it, with small gaps between pieces. Add a perforated liner underneath if your basket tends to stick, and set a lightweight rack above the pieces if they are curling dramatically.
- Air fry at 180°C for 6 minutes. Open the drawer, use tongs to loosen any stuck edges, and turn the pieces over.
- Increase to 200°C and cook for 3–6 minutes more, shaking or turning once, until the chips are deeply golden in patches and sound dry when tapped with tongs.
- Transfer the chips to a wire rack or a plate lined with fresh kitchen paper. Sprinkle with lemon zest, sesame seeds or a final pinch of salt while hot. Rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
