Haaaaaay!
It’s Monday, and I know that is not something most of us are typically excited about, but why not embrace it? I mean…I may have only gotten about four hours of sleep last night, between all the wake-ups, but the weekend was a success overall (I’ll spare you some of the less-than-fun details) and this week has to be better than last week, at work. I’m choosing to be optimistic!
We started the weekend off with this fantastic meal. And you know I loved it, because lemon. All things lemon. And salmon, of course. But, lemon. I’ve made chicken piccata before, and we really enjoyed that, so when I saw a recipe for salmon piccata – UM, YES. So much yes. Now, I may have had to hurriedly inhale mine standing at the kitchen counter, holding a hungry baby, but gosh doggit, I enjoyed every bite! J was a fan as well, and asked what was in the sauce.
Well, my love. Lemon. That’s all that really matters in the end. Right?
But seriously, the lemony sauce is not too lemony – if there is such a thing – and it compliments the salmon very well. You know, that whole fish and lemon thing is big for a reason. Oh, and of course this is fairly quick to prepare – always the goal in our house! Especially on a Friday night. By the end of the week I’m worn out and like to keep the Friday dinner as simple as possible – even more so than the rest of the week. And did I mention that the sauce also has wine it? Friday + wine in dinner = success!
And if the lemony sauce wasn’t enough, we had lemony quinoa and lemon pepper sauteed asparagus to go with it. Can you say obsessed, much? I know, I know. It’s a problem. Well, it’s not really for problem, but it is a slight – ok major – obsession. Addiction, even. Lemon. Balsamic. Chocolate. Maybe I should change the blog name to that. Ha! Let’s take a vote on that.
In the mean time, do yourself a favor and add this to your menu.
Lemony Salmon Piccata
Ingredients
- 4 6 oz salmon fillets (with or without skin)
- sea salt and lemon pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup + 3 tsp flour, divided
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup dry white wine (or replace with chicken broth, if you prefer)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
- 2-4 Tbsp coarsely chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Season both sides of salmon fillets evenly with salt and lemon pepper (if your salmon has the skin on, just season the skinless side). Place 1/4 cup of flour in a shallow dish, and dip the salmon (skinless side(s) only) in to coat, and shake off any excess, and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon fillets (skin side down if it has the skin on), and cook for about 4 minutes to get a nice sear, before gently flipping with tongs. Cook for an additional 4 minutes, or until cooked through. If you had skin-on salmon, use the tongs to gently pull the skin off during this phase, then flip back over for just a minute to get a good sear on that side as well. Remove salmon to a plate and keep warm while you prepare the sauce.
- Using the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of butter and melt over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute, until fragrant. Pour in the wine (or chicken broth if you are using that instead) and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add ¾ cup broth and the lemon juice, bring to a boil and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of broth and 3 tsp of flour in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add this mixture to the skillet and stir until well-combined and slightly thickened, about a minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in capers. Return the salmon fillets to the pan, gently turning each fillet to evenly coat in the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges!
Source: Cafe Delites
Lemony Salmon Piccata is a healthy meal you can whip up in less that 30 minutes, but will taste like it took you all day!
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