Garlic Butter Salmon

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Perfectly cooked garlic butter salmon fillets served in a lusciously thick sauce is an easy, one pan, stove top recipe for a delicious week night supper for two that is ready in about 20 minutes.

Servings: people

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Ingredients

2 salmon fillets - 1
1 tbsp plain / all purpose flour - 3
½ tsp garlic granules - 2
¼ tsp black pepper - 5
1 tbsp olive oil - 4
45 g butter - 4
2 cloves garlic - 2
60 ml chicken stock - 7
2 tsp lemon juiced - 6
3 sprigs fresh parsley - 8

Metric - USA Cups

Instructions

Prepare the salmon - If you can, take the salmon out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to cook so it is at room temperature.
Frying from chilled can make the salmon contract and become dry.
2 salmon fillets
Coat the salmon with flour - Mix the flour, pepper and garlic granules together in a shallow bowl. Blot the salmon dry with some kitchen paper, add to the bowl turning it over so it is well coated with the seasoned flour.
Dredging in flour helps add a glorious golden crust to the cooked salmon, and the flour left in the pan helps to thicken the garlic sauce.
1 tbsp plain / all purpose flour , ½ tsp garlic granules, ¼ tsp black pepper
Fry the salmon - Add the olive oil and about a third of the butter to a frying pan, melt the butter into the oil over a medium heat, then add the salmon. The butter added at this stage will brown adding a layer of nutty flavour.
I use a good heavy (but not necessarily expensive) non-stick frying pan / skillet. Anything between 23-28cm (9-11″) is perfect.
Fry for about 3 – 4 minutes on each side until golden. Once in the pan just let the salmon sit, there is no need to move it around all the time as this will dislodge the flour coating.
While the salmon is frying peel and chop the garlic, and chop the parsley.
When the salmon is cooked remove it from the pan ad place in a shallow bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate to trap the heat, so it carries on cooking to perfection in the residual heat. Resting the salmon in this way also allows it to relax and draw back al the juices into the flesh giving you moist and tender salmon.
1 tbsp olive oil, 45 g butter, 2 cloves garlic, 3 sprigs fresh parsley
Make the garlic butter sauce - Add the garlic to the pan and fry for a minute or two, until it is fragrant and starting to turn golden. Pay close attention as garlic can burn easily and will then taste horrid.
Add the stock, giving the bottom of the pan a good scrape with your spatula so any remaining flour gets mixed into the sauce.
Add the rest of the butter and let it melt, then add a squeeze of lemon juice. Bring to a very gentle simmer, stirring all the time until the sauce has thickened.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary
60 ml chicken stock, 2 tsp lemon juiced
Finish & serve - Return the salmon fillets to the pan (first removing the skin if you did not use skinless filets) for a few minutes. Baste them with the hot butter sauce as they reheat. Try not to move them too much to keep the fillets whole.
Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and garnish with a few slices of lemon. Serve immediately.

Notes

Ingredients

Salmon fillets – two salmon fillets – skinned or skin on. For a special meal I use skinless so you can sear all sides of the salmon to crispy perfection. For an everyday supper I usually have skin on, which I remove before serving. Skin on is generally cheaper, the trade off being that one side of your salmon won’t be crispy.
Garlic – to make this really garlicky I use two types of garlic – dried to season the flour (fine granules are better than powder) and fresh for the sauce.
Flour – to season and coat the chicken – this makes a golden coating, the flour left in the pan after thickening the chicken will thicken and make the garlic butter sauce silky smooth. Any type of white flour will work here.
Butter & Olive Oil – Adjust your seasoning depending if you use salted or unsalted butter here. Both work well. I prefer an unprocessed extra virgin olive oil.
Black Pepper – Freshly ground.
Lemon – adds more flavour and the acidity balances the rich sauce, it doesn’t make the sauce taste of lemon – you can also add a splash of white wine.
Stock / Broth – a good quality stock which has a fantastic flavour. I usually use chicken, or you can use vegetable. There is no need to buy fish stock, which is very rarely used.
Fresh Parsley – Pairs with the garlic and adds a pop of colour and makes the dish look more appetising. If you do not have fresh then I’d use a pinch of dried oregano adding it to the seasoned flour. Dried parsley is almost always disappointing and a waste of money and cupboard space.

Variations

Swap half the chicken stock for white wine – if you do this make the stock double strength.

Storage

I recommend making this dish fresh every time as it is so much better. When you reheat it the sauce tends to split with the liquid evaporating, leaving just garlic butter.

Any leftover salmon can be kept in the fridge for two to three days. Flake and use in a salad or sandwich, just don’t try and reheat in the sauce.

Hints and tips

Let the salmon come to room temperature before cooking. It will be more tender and juicy starting cooking from room temperature.
When frying the salmon move it around the pan as little as possible so as not to dislodge the flour coating.
Watch the garlic carefully as it cooks. it can burn easily and then taste bitter – this is why you chop rather than press the garlic.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.