Imagine you’re eating at a fancy restaurant and the server brings you this delicious salmon fillet in creamy lemon garlic sauce, perfectly cooked and seasoned. This is exactly how you will feel after tasting this amazing recipe.
Salmon With Lemon Cream Sauce
So easy and simple to make, yet so flavorful and gourmet. Salmon with cream sauce is one of my favorite ways to eat this delectable fish.
This is a perfect meal for date night, for a dinner party, or just because you want to eat something decadent and delicious. In about 40 minutes you can have this dish ready and on the dinner table.
Your guests or family members will surely be impressed by it and praise your culinary abilities.
Garlic, lemon, lemon zest, and cream make the perfect ingredients for this sauce and crushed red pepper flakes on top give it an extra kick that will satisfy even the most discerning foodies.
HOW TO MAKE THE CREAMY LEMON GARLIC SAUCE?
First, you need to make a roux. This is accomplished by cooking flour in butter for a couple of minutes and then whisking the cream into the flour mixture to make it thicker.
By sauteing the minced garlic in the butter first, you are infusing the garlic flavor in the cream sauce.
The addition of lemon juice and zest gives the sauce the perfect tangy flavor that is basic for a fish sauce, and chopped dill is the herb of choice for most fish dishes also.
The cream sauce has to be whisked to prevent any lumps from forming. The thickness of the sauce is determined by the cooking time. For a thicker sauce, cook it longer to let it reduce.
If you feel the sauce is already too thick, add a little water to thin it out a bit, but be careful, and don’t add too much. Always season with salt and pepper to taste.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON GARLIC SALMON?
- Season the salmon fillets with salt and freshly ground pepper
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear the salmon fillets skin side up until golden brown (about 5 mins), and then flip and cook skin side down until the skin is crispy and golden (another 5 mins)
- Remove the salmon fillets from the skillet and transfer them to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter to the skillet. Saute the garlic in the melted butter for about 30 seconds
- Mix in the flour and cook for about a minute.
- Whisk in the cream and cook until thickened. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped dill. Mix well and season with salt and freshly ground pepper
- Return salmon fillets to skillet and cook with the sauce for about 2 minutes. Serve with crushed red pepper flakes on top.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH GARLIC SALMON?
White rice or wild rice I think is the perfect side dish for this meal. Rice to me is the perfect way to eat the sauce that is poured over the fillets. Steamed broccoli tossed in a little butter, salt, and pepper also work great to make this a complete meal.
RECIPE TIPS:
- Be careful when flipping the salmon fillets. Fish is tender and can break apart easily.
- Have your skillet very hot before adding the fillets or else they won’t brown, they will just cook without developing color.
- Do not burn the garlic. Cook it for no more than 30 seconds on the butter. Burnt garlic tastes bitter and will ruin the sauce.
- If you want a thinner sauce or are calorie conscious, use a little less cream and add a bit of milk to make the sauce. For example, you can use ¾ cup of heavy cream and ½ cup milk. Just check on the thickness and add a bit more flour if you feel the sauce is too thin.
SALMON WITH LEMON CREAM SAUCE
Ingredients
- 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Season the salmon fillets with salt and freshly ground pepper
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear the salmon fillets skin side up until golden brown (about 5 mins), and then flip and cook skin side down until the skin is crispy and golden (another 5 mins)
- Remove the salmon fillets from the skillet and transfer them to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter to the skillet. Saute the garlic in the melted butter for about 30 seconds
- Mix in the flour and cook for about a minute
- Whisk in the cream and cook until thickened. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped dill. Mix well and season with salt and freshly ground pepper
- Return salmon fillets to skillet and cook with the sauce for about 2 minutes. Serve with crushed red pepper flakes on top.
Delicious! Will definitely make again