Salmon has always been a favorite of mine, I enjoy cooking it myself and trying it at restaurants to see how different chefs choose to prepare their dishes. For my high-school graduation I took a trip to Ireland with my mom where my view of salmon shifted forever. Nestled amongst the rugged wind swept coast, the sleepy town of Doolin served up the best salmon and cream sauce I had ever experienced.
The fish came served on a delicate bed of carrot and parsnip mash and accompanied by a side of green beans. After one bite I vowed I would figure out how to recreate the meal. When I was sitting down to create the menu for the month, my memory of this salmon popped into my head and I instantly got to work researching how I could perfect the linchpin of the dish, the sauce. After a bit of trial and error, the cream sauce was perfected. If you want the full meal experience, I shared the recipe for the Carrot & Parsnip Mash as well as for the Lemon Green Beans a few weeks ago. Enjoy!
Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients for Salmon:
*4 Salmon Filets
*1/2 teaspoon sea salt
*1/2 teaspoon black pepper
*1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil
*1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Ingredients for Sauce:
*2 cloves of garlic, minced
*1/4 cup of lemon juice + 1/4 cup water, mixed
*1/2 cup chicken broth
*1 cup heavy cream
*1/2 cup parmesan
*1 sage leaf, finally chopped
*2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
Preparation:
*Pat salmon dry with a paper towel then pour on the 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper, patting it all in until evenly coated.
*Heat a large skillet over medium high and add oil.
*Add salmon and cook for 3 minutes until golden brown.
*Flip salmon and cook on the opposite side for 2 minutes.
*Add in butter and allow to melt. Once melted, spoon over each salmon filet 3 times.
*Remove salmon from the pan and place on a plate. Draping with foil to keep warm.
*Add garlic to pan and stir for 30 seconds, until it is a light golden.
*Turn the pan to high heat and add the lemon juice and water mixture, stirring constantly until it reaches a simmer. Once simmering, cook for 1 minute.
*Return heat to medium and pour in cream and chicken stock. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until content has reduced and thickened slightly.
*Stir parmesan into the sauce until combined, then add the herbs and stir.
*Turn off pan heat and taste sauce. Adjust amount of salt/pepper/herbs if desired.
*Return salmon to pan and spoon sauce over top before serving.
Recipe Creator - Alina Gersib