Mouthwatering Pan-fried Salmon fillets in creamy lemon sauce. This will instantly become one of your favourite ways to serve salmon!
What a spectacular weeknight meal!
Those are the famous words from my husband, Tomi, after he took a mouthful of this Salmon In Creamy Lemon Sauce. ‘That’s so delicious mummy! What a spectacular weeknight meal!’
Yes, the salmon tastes damn incredible and sadly yes, Tomi calls me mummy.
Tomi insisted we call each other mummy and daddy to help our baby grasp who we were. Hearing my husband call me mummy freaked me out because it was just plain weird. In the end, he convinced me it was normal, as most parents do this. So here we are, our toddler Kai is almost 3 years old, and he clearly knows who we are now, but we’re stuck with still calling each other mummy and daddy!
Anyway, let’s get back to this mouthwatering salmon dish that you could have on your table in approximately 20 minutes.
This Salmon in Creamy Lemon Sauce is outrageously good that I’m convinced that it could even win over ‘anti-salmon’ people.
It’s all thanks to the irresistible creamy sauce that only comprises a few ingredients but you’ll end up with garlicky, creamy and zesty sauce. A sauce that works like a dream when paired up with salmon or any variety of firm fish.
How can you tell if the salmon is fresh?
If you have been following this blog for a while, you would probably know that I used to be a fishmonger. It was a casual job I picked up for a few months as a uni student. I was trying to earn some money for partying and booze… oops I mean… my uni books and fees!
I hated this job, not so much the job itself, but the owners of the business made our lives hell. They employed young people and worked us all to the bone for peanuts. Thankfully, I could still gain some useful skills along the way. So here are some tips on selecting fresh salmon:
If you’re looking to buy an entire salmon, its eyes should be clear with no discolouration, for example, no bleeding or cloudy eyes. The skin should look ultra glossy/shiny, and salmon is naturally a slimy fish.
It’s a little more difficult to tell how fresh salmon is when it’s sold in fillets. If the skin is attached, it should look shiny. The flesh should feel firm to the touch and not too soft. The colour of the flesh should be a vibrant orange colour and not dull or matte.
We have more delicious salmon recipes for you to try:
Smoked Salmon Canapés with Caviar
Beautiful Salsa Verde with Salmon
Poached Salmon in Chinese spiced broth
Salmon Patties with Cheese and Broccoli
What are the health benefits of salmon?
Here are some good reasons to have salmon tonight!
- Salmon is a great source of Omega-3, which can help with lowering blood pressure and inflammation.
- It’s packed with loads of vitamins and minerals.
- It’s a high source of protein and will keep you feeling full for longer.
- Salmon is an oily fish that contains good fats with less saturated fat than meat.
What is a good substitute for salmon?
Trout is very similar to salmon in the way it looks and taste, but trout is more mild tasting. You could also swap salmon with mackerel.
For this recipe, you could use many types of fish, but preferably ones that are firm enough to hold their shape when frying and searing.
Ingredients for Salmon In Creamy Lemon Sauce
Salmon fillets – I used skinless and boneless salmon fish fillets which weighed approximately 180-200gm (6-7oz) each. Good fishmongers are happy to remove the skin and bones from your fillets.
Eschalots – I’ve seen shallots called ‘eschalots’ or ‘French shallots’ here. Shallots look like small brown onions but are skinny and oval-shaped, and when cut open they look like red onions. They’re difficult to peel and are more expensive than other types of onions. Shallots are mild in flavour compared to onions, but you could use brown (yellow) onions as a substitute.
Thickened cream (whipping cream) has gelatine added to it and contains 35% milk fat. Low fat cream would work, but be mindful the sauce won’t be as rich and sauce will be thinner.
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How to make Salmon In Creamy Lemon Sauce
Step-by-step guide with photos
Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels, then lightly season them with salt and pepper all over.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then place the salmon skin side down. Keep your eye on the sides of the salmon because it will change to an opaque colour when cooked. Flip the salmon over and cook to your liking. Transfer the salmon onto a plate and set them aside.
Use a paper towel to wipe the same frying pan clean, but leaving a thin film of oil. Place the pan over medium heat and melt the butter, then add in the garlic and eschalots. Stir-fry for a minute or until fragrant and the eschalots have slightly softened. Pour in the cream and lemon juice, then mix in the parsley and salt. Once the sauce heats (close to bubbling) taste it, then add salt and pepper if needed. Place the salmon fillets in the sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes whilst spooning the sauce over the top of the fillets.
Serving suggestions – With mashed or boiled potatoes, pasta, salad or crusty bread.
Leftovers – Allow the salmon to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer into a sealed container and store in the fridge. It’ll be good for up to 2 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
If you have made this recipe, I would love your feedback and support. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Salmon In Creamy Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 pieces salmon fillet (approx. 200g/7oz each skinless & boneless) (NOTE 1)
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 large eschalot (70g/2.5oz finely diced) (NOTE 2)
- 60 gm unsalted butter
- 1 cup thickened cream (NOTE 3)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels, then lightly season them with salt and pepper all over. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then place the salmon skin side down. Keep your eye on the sides of the salmon because it will change to an opaque colour when cooked. Flip the salmon over and cook to your liking. Transfer the salmon onto a plate and set them aside.
- Use a paper towel to wipe the same frying pan clean, but leaving a thin film of oil. Place the pan over medium heat and melt the butter, then add in the garlic and eschalots. Stir-fry for a minute or until fragrant and the eschalots have slightly softened. Pour in the cream and lemon juice, then mix in the parsley and salt. Once the sauce heats (close to bubbling) taste it, then add salt and pepper if needed. Place the salmon fillets in the sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes whilst spooning the sauce over the top of the fillets.
