Step 1

Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Rinse the fish fillets in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, salt, and corn or potato starch. Rub the flesh side of the fillets evenly with the brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle the fillets lightly with black pepper.

Step 2

Grease a nonstick skillet with olive oil or avocado oil, and heat on medium until hot. Place the fillets skin side up, flesh side down into the skillet, and increase heat to medium high. Allow fish to sear for 1 to 2 minutes until a dark golden crust forms. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan-- this will make the fillets difficult to turn. If the pan seems too crowded, work in batches.

Step 3

When a dark crust has formed (it should be crispy and might be a little black in places), use a pair of tongs to gently turn the salmon and let the skin side sear for another minute.

Step 4

Remove skillet from heat. At this point, you can transfer the fillets onto a lightly greased baking sheet. If your skillet is oven safe - no plastic handle, heat resistant - you can finish the fillets directly in the pan. Brush each fillet with 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses - 1 tbsp per fillet, 4 tbsp total.

Step 5

Transfer fillets to the preheated oven and let them cook for 8-12 minutes longer, or until the internal temperature reaches desired doneness. Thicker fillets may take longer to cook through. 145 degrees F is considered food safe internal temperature for fish, but salmon tends to dry out at higher temperatures. I prefer an internal temperature of 125 degrees F here for best texture, but know that it is not technically considered food safe - so you may want to cook it to 145 F, depending on your personal health situation. Serve fillets fresh from the oven garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds and fresh mint, if desired.