Salmon With Lemon Cream Sauce (Printer-friendly)
Golden crispy salmon with a rich, tangy lemon cream sauce. An elegant yet simple dinner ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 5–6 oz each), skinless or skin-on
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Lemon Cream Sauce
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 - 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
11 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How to Prepare:
01 - Pat the salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the salmon fillets skin side down (if using skin-on) and cook for 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and loosely tent with foil to keep warm.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to brown it.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and stir in the Dijon mustard. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
05 - Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Continue simmering for 2 more minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened.
06 - Fold in the freshly chopped parsley. Taste the sauce and adjust the lemon juice, salt, and pepper as needed.
07 - Return the salmon fillets to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the top. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes to reheat the fish through. Serve immediately, garnished with extra parsley and lemon wedges 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 coastal bistro, yet the whole thing is done in thirty minutes flat.
02 -
- If the cream boils too aggressively it will separate, so keep the heat at a gentle, lazy bubble.
- Patting the salmon completely dry before searing is the single step that determines whether you get a crust or a steamed mess.
03 -
- Start checking the salmon for doneness at the 4 minute mark because overcooked fish is the one thing this sauce cannot rescue.
- Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly into the pan so the volatile oils land right where they matter most.