Salmon With Lemon Cream (Printable version)
Pan-seared salmon with a silky lemon cream, brightened with dill—zesty and elegant, ready in 30 minutes.
# What you'll need:
→ Salmon
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
# Directions:
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 with foil to keep warm.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté the minced garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in the 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 the heavy cream, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
06 - Add chopped fresh dill (or parsley) and season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Return the salmon fillets to the pan and spoon the sauce over each piece. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to gently reheat the fish.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh herbs and lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in the same pan, soaking up every golden bit of flavor the salmon leaves behind.
- It feels like something you would order at a bistro but takes barely half an hour from fridge to plate.
- Lemon and dill make the cream sauce bright rather than heavy, so it works even on warm evenings.
02 -
- Patting the salmon completely dry before searing is the difference between a beautiful golden crust and a steamed, pale fillet.
- The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits off the heat, so pull it from the stove when it looks slightly thinner than you want.
03 -
- Take the salmon out of the fridge fifteen minutes before cooking so it sears evenly instead of cooling the pan on contact.
- A microplane zester gives you the finest, most fragrant lemon zest without any bitter pith mixed in.