Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce (Printer-friendly)

Tender salmon fillets finished in a lemon cream sauce with dill and garlic—zesty, elegant, 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 extra for garnish
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How-To Guide:

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 fillets 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. Melt butter in the same skillet and sauté 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 lightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
06 - Add chopped dill or parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine.
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 on the side if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together right in the same pan, so you get incredible flavor with almost no extra dishes.
  • It tastes like something you would order at a bistro but comes together in about thirty minutes start to finish.
  • The lemon and dill combination makes the rich cream feel bright instead of heavy.
02 -
  • Do not move the salmon while it is searing, because patience is what gives you that golden crust instead of a torn messy fillet.
  • Simmer the sauce gently and never let it boil, or the cream can break and become grainy instead of smooth.
  • If you need this to be gluten free, use fish or vegetable stock instead of wine to avoid any sulfite concerns.
03 -
  • Take the salmon out of the fridge about fifteen minutes before cooking so it sears evenly instead of cooling the pan down on contact.
  • Taste the lemon before you juice it because an unusually sour or unusually mild lemon can throw the whole sauce off balance.

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