Salmon With Lemon Cream Sauce (Printable Version)
Crispy salmon fillets with a creamy, zesty lemon garlic sauce ready in 30 minutes.
# What You 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 whipping cream
05 - Zest of 1 lemon
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Pantry Staples
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
# How To Make It:
01 - Pat the salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the salmon fillets in the pan and sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until the fish reaches your preferred level of doneness. Transfer the fillets to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium. Melt the butter in the same skillet, then sauté the minced garlic 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, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Continue simmering for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
05 - Fold in the chopped parsley and taste the sauce. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Return the salmon fillets to the skillet, spooning the sauce generously over each piece. Let everything simmer together for 2 to 3 minutes so the flavors marry.
07 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Garnish with extra fresh parsley or thin lemon slices if desired.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in the same pan, so you get all those caramelized bits without a mountain of dishes.
- It tastes like something from a fancy restaurant but the whole thing is done in under thirty minutes.
- That bright lemon cutting through the rich cream is the kind of flavor balance that makes you close your eyes at the table.
02 -
- Drying the salmon completely before it hits the pan is the difference between a beautiful crust and a steamed mess that sticks to the skillet.
- Do not let the cream sauce reach a hard boil or it will separate and turn grainy instead of smooth.
03 -
- Take the salmon out of the fridge fifteen minutes before cooking so it sears instead of steaming when it touches the hot pan.
- Use a fish spatula or the thinnest metal spatula you own for flipping, because a thick one will tear the delicate crust.