Salmon With Lemon Cream Sauce (Printable)
Golden pan-seared salmon with a rich, zesty lemon cream sauce. An elegant yet simple weeknight dinner 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
→ Other
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
# Directions:
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. Once the oil shimmers, add the salmon fillets and sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side until a golden crust forms and the fish reaches your desired doneness. Transfer the fillets 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, being careful not to brown it.
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 fresh parsley and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Return the salmon fillets to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the top. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together and the fish to heat through.
07 - Serve the salmon immediately, spooning extra sauce over each fillet. Garnish with additional fresh parsley or lemon slices if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in the same pan so you get all those gorgeous caramelized bits without extra dishes.
- It feels like a restaurant dish but the whole thing is done in about thirty minutes flat.
- That creamy tangy sauce works on almost any fish so it becomes a staple you will return to.
02 -
- Do not move the salmon around while it sears because a proper crust only forms if you leave it alone and trust the process.
- If the sauce seems too thin after simmering, just give it another minute because cream thickens dramatically in the last sixty seconds.
- Undercooking the salmon slightly is always better than overcooking it since it will continue to cook in the warm sauce.
03 -
- Take the salmon out of the fridge fifteen minutes before cooking so it sears more evenly instead of being cold in the center when the outside is done.
- A splash of dry white wine deglazed into the pan before adding the cream adds a layer of depth that will make people think you trained in France.