You'll need:
- 1 lb salmon fillet (one big piece is fine, and so is one cut into different fillets)
- 1/4 c soy sauce
- 2 Tbs maple syrup
- 1 Tbs chopped garlic
- 1 tsp ginger paste or chopped fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Put salmon in a freezer bag and combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour over salmon and let marinade in the fridge for about 4 hours, flipping halfway through.
Remove the salmon from the fridge. Take a skillet or other flat-ish pan and put it on the stove over medium high heat. Add about 3 Tbs oil.
To make sure the salmon doesn't fall apart, start with searing it skin side up. It doesn't get flaky until it's cooked, so if you finish cooking it with the skin side down, the skin will keep it together so it stays in one piece as you serve it.
I swear by splatter guards when I pan fry large pieces of meat like this. It keeps the oil from getting everywhere and also helps the meat cook more evenly than if it were completely uncovered.
The pan is hot, so cook the salmon about 3 minutes before flipping it - so as to sear it and caramelize the marinade, but not burn it. Then use tongs to flip the salmon and cook about 5 minutes - which will make the skin crispy.
At this point I lower the heat to about medium and cover it. This will finish cooking the middle part quickly without overcooking the skin. Let it cook, covered, about 2 minutes.
Remove the salmon from the pan with tongs and slice into portions (if not pre-sliced). I served it here with rice tossed with a bit of soy sauce.