Salmon With Lemon Cream Sauce (Printable)
Golden pan-seared salmon with a rich, zesty lemon cream sauce. Ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each
→ Lemon Cream Sauce
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - Zest of 1 lemon
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Pantry Staples
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil, for searing
# Step-by-step:
01 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the salmon fillets in the skillet and sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until the fish reaches your desired level of doneness. Transfer the salmon to a warm plate and set aside.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant and lightly golden.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Let the sauce simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
05 - Stir in the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Return the salmon fillets to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the top. Let everything simmer together for 2 to 3 minutes so the flavors meld.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh parsley or lemon slices if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in the same pan, so you get all those caramelized bits of flavor without a sink full of dishes.
- It transforms a basic weeknight protein into something that genuinely impresses, whether its Tuesday night or Saturday dinner with friends.
02 -
- Wet salmon will not sear properly and instead will steam, so take the extra minute to pat those fillets bone dry before they hit the pan.
- If the cream sauce looks separated or greasy, your heat is too high, so pull it off the burner for thirty seconds and whisk gently to bring it back together.
03 -
- A zester or fine microplane gives you fluffy lemon zest without any bitter white pith, which is the single biggest upgrade you can make to this sauce.
- Tasting the sauce before returning the salmon is the secret to a perfectly balanced dish, since the fish itself will contribute its own salinity.