Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce (Printer-Friendly)

Golden pan-seared salmon with rich, zesty lemon cream sauce. An elegant yet effortless 30-minute dinner perfect for any occasion.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each

→ Lemon Cream Sauce

02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - Zest of 1 lemon
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Other

10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil, for searing

# How to Make It:

01 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the salmon fillets and sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and cooked to your preferred doneness. Transfer to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to brown it.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Let the sauce simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
05 - Stir in the chopped parsley and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Return the salmon fillets to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the top. Simmer together for 2 to 3 minutes so the flavors meld. Serve immediately, garnished with additional parsley or lemon slices if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lemon cream sauce comes together in the same pan, so you get maximum flavor with almost zero extra cleanup.
  • It tastes like something you would order at a nice restaurant, but it takes barely thirty minutes from fridge to plate.
02 -
  • If the salmon releases easily from the pan when you try to flip it, the crust is ready, and if it sticks, give it another thirty seconds before trying again.
  • Reducing the cream too much will make the sauce break, so watch for a consistency that slowly drips off the spoon rather than becoming thick and paste like.
03 -
  • Let the cream simmer until it just coats the back of a spoon and no more because over reducing it will make the sauce greasy and thick instead of silky.
  • A squeeze of lemon juice at the very end, right before serving, wakes up all the flavors and makes the dish taste brighter and more alive.

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