Every aspiring chef loves a meal impressive enough to serve friends and family on special occasions while also simple enough to cook for an easy midweek dinner. This recipe is exactly that, and a perfect combination of flaky, buttery fish and crispy, cheesy crust. Served over your favorite noodle in a savory white sauce that creates the ideal finishing touch for a dinner your family or your guests are sure to enjoy – all in less than an hour.
THE INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs [1 kg] fresh salmon or about half a full salmon fillet, cut into 4-6 oz. sections
- 3 tbsp [15 ml] high heat cooking oil (ex. grapeseed, canola, avocado)
- 1 tbsp [14 g] salt
- ½ tbsp [7 g] pepper
- 2 cups [473 ml] dry white wine
- 1 cup [236 ml] heavy cream
- 3 tbsp [43 g] all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup fresh minced dill
- 4 tbsp [57 g] pickled capers
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lb [454 g] of fettuccine cooked al dente (you can substitute your favorite pasta)
- Dill sprigs for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
THE STEPS
- Always preheat your skillet on low heat for 5-10 minutes this prevents food from sticking and protects your skillet from warping. While your skillet is preheating, lightly coat the salmon fillets with oil (for binding the seasoning to the fish) and season with salt and pepper. Once preheated, add 3 tbsp of high heat cooking oil to your skillet and gradually increase the burner temp to medium high. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Add the salmon fillets to your hot skillet and sear for about one minute on each side (just enough to lightly brown the fish and trigger the maillard reaction). Remove the seared salmon fillets from the pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Deglazing a pan is when you add a liquid to a hot pan after cooking a protein over moderate heat to melt the fatty residues from the meat into a tasty liquid that is the perfect base for your sauce.
- Add the heavy cream to your skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and slowly add all-purpose flour while stirring continuously to prevent clumping. Add salt, pepper, fresh minced dill and pickled capers. Continue to simmer and stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens to a thin gravy consistency.
- Add the seared salmon back into the skillet and drizzle some of the pan sauce over fillets with a spoon. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese over the entire dish, making sure to coat the fillets. Next place the skillet in your preheated oven to cook for 15 minutes. During this time, prepare your pasta (we used al dente fettuccine) according to the directions on the box. Cooking your pasta al dente will prevent it from becoming overcooked and mushy once combined with your heated sauce.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes prior to serving. Serve over pasta and pair with a nice loaf of sourdough bread, any roasted vegetable and your favorite white wine for maximum enjoyment!
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Serves: 3-6
2 comments
JP
Is this meant for a 12” skillet?
Nick Donofrio
The taste and texture of the sauce were outstanding. The salmon was cooked to perfection. My only criticisms are twofold. First, there is no way to fit 2lbs of salmon in the 10.5" skillet. Second, three tablespoons of oil are overkill to sear the salmon at the beginning of the recipe. Half the amount would have been sufficient. The excessive oil made it seem like we were deep-frying the salmon and it created a mess on our stovetop. We will definitely try this recipe again using less salmon and less oil.
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