Anononymous 8-30-05

6 Salmon Fillets, 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick, skinned

2 1/2 cups unsalted butter or margarine

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon dried thyme (do not use fresh - it will burn)

Lemon wedges and Parsley for garnish

Trim off the thin edges of fillets as these would burn. Pat dry and

refrigerate until ready to cook. The butter sauce adheres better to

cold fillets. In heavy 3-quart cast-iron frying pan over

medium heat, melt butter, add lemon juice, cayenne, salt, black

pepper and thyme. Stir to blend; cool to lukewarm. Place

an empty 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until bottom has a definite white haze and begins to smoke slightly. Remove fish from refrigerator; dip 1 fillet in warm butter sauce, coating well. Place fish in hot skillet, taking care that spits and spatters do not burn you. Fish will sear and cook almost immediately. Turn fillet over; blacken other side. Repeat with remaining fillets. Reserve remaining butter sauce. As fillets are

cooked, place them on individual plates; keep warm. Discard

accumulated butter sauce in skillet and charred bits between

batches. When all fillets have been cooked, wipe skillet clean and

place empty skillet back on heat. Add reserved butter sauce;

carefully swirl skillet 5 or 6 times to blacken butter. Remove pan

from heat; drizzle butter over each fillet. Garnish and serve hot.