The Ultimate Pan-Seared Salmon with a Rosé-Lemon Butter Sauce
An elegant pan-seared salmon dish served with a simple side salad and a classic French-style pan sauce. Skinless salmon fillets are seasoned and seared until well-browned and cooked through. A quick and flavorful sauce is then made in the same skillet with shallots, capers, and rosé or white wine, which is then emulsified with cold butter to create a creamy finish. The dish is served with the sauce spooned over the salmon, alongside a fresh green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Searing
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Four 6- to 8-ounce skinless salmon fillets
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 1/2 cup dry rosé wine or white wine
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F to keep the salmon warm.
- Prepare the Salad: In a large bowl, place the salad greens. Zest the entire lemon over the greens. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the greens. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine and set aside. Reserve the other half of the lemon.
- Cook the Salmon: Pat the salmon fillets dry and sprinkle them all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets to the skillet.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned on the first side. Turn the fillets and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness, until just cooked through.
- Transfer the cooked salmon to a baking sheet and place it in the warm oven while you make the sauce.
- Make the Pan Sauce: Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the chopped shallots and capers and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes until the shallots have softened.
- Add the rosé wine and the juice of the reserved lemon half. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Whisk in the cold butter, a few cubes at a time, to create a creamy, emulsified sauce.
- Stir in the chopped parsley and chives.
- Serve: Serve the warm pan sauce over the salmon fillets, with the dressed greens alongside.
Notes
- Keeping the cooked salmon in a warm (250°F) oven is a great way to ensure it stays hot while you prepare the quick pan sauce.
- To create a creamy, emulsified butter sauce (a classic French technique), it’s important that the butter is cold and added in cubes while whisking.
- Using the same skillet to make the sauce after cooking the salmon incorporates the flavorful browned bits (fond) into the final dish.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/pan-seared-salmon/