Salmon With Lemon Cream Sauce (Printable)

Tender salmon in a silky lemon-garlic cream, brightened with fresh dill — ready in 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, 6 oz each
02 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher 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 stock
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Pat the salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. 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. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to brown it.
04 - Pour in the white wine or stock. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
05 - Stir in the heavy cream, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. Let the sauce simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes until it slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
06 - Fold in the chopped fresh dill and season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Return the salmon fillets to the skillet, spooning the sauce over each piece. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to gently reheat the fish. Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh dill and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together right in the same pan, so you get incredible flavor from the browned bits without extra dishes.
  • It tastes like something you would order at a bistro but comes together fast enough for a random Tuesday.
  • The lemon and dill combination makes the rich cream feel bright and balanced, never heavy.
02 -
  • If the cream sauce looks curdled, your heat is too high so pull the pan off the burner and stir vigorously to bring it back together.
  • The salmon will continue cooking in the residual heat of the sauce, so pull it from the pan when it is just barely done to avoid dry, overcooked fish.
03 -
  • Press the salmon gently in the center while cooking and remove it from the pan when it still has a slight give because carryover heat will finish the job perfectly.
  • Warm your serving plates in a low oven before plating because cream sauces congeal quickly on cold dishes.

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