Salmon With Lemon Cream Sauce (Printable)
Tender salmon fillets in a luscious lemon cream sauce, ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets (6 oz each)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Lemon Cream Sauce
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
07 - 1/2 cup dry white wine (or fish/vegetable stock)
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or parsley), plus more for garnish
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
# Step-by-step:
01 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place salmon flesh side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in the same skillet and sauté minced garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in white wine (or stock) and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
05 - Stir in heavy cream, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
06 - Add chopped dill (or parsley) and season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Return salmon fillets to the pan, spooning sauce over each piece. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to reheat through.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh herbs and lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together right in the same pan, so you get maximum flavor with almost no extra dishes to wash.
- It feels restaurant worthy but the ingredient list is shockingly short and forgiving for home cooks of any level.
02 -
- Do not move the salmon while it is searing because patience is the only way to get that restaurant quality crust without the fish falling apart.
- If the sauce seems too thin after simmering, just let it go another minute because cream sauces thicken surprisingly fast right at the end.
03 -
- A fish spatula with its thin flexible edge is the single best tool for flipping salmon without breaking the delicate crust you just worked so hard to build.
- Let the cream sauce simmer on the gentler side of medium because boiling it hard can cause it to break and turn grainy instead of smooth.