Quick Lemon-Caper Baked Salmon Recipe
Whip up a quick, easy, and mouth-watering meal with this simple salmon recipe! Here's what you'll need:
For the fish:- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, pin bones removed- A generous pinch of kosher salt- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves- Juice of 1/2 lemon- 2 tablespoons olive oil- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
For the sauce:- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter- 1 shallot, finely diced- 1 small garlic clove, minced- 2/3 cup dry white wine (or water if you're avoiding alcohol)- Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon- Juice of 1 lemon- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped- Freshly ground black pepper- Kosher salt, to taste
Ready to get cooking? Let's dive in!
- Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and season it all over with salt. In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Coat the salmon fillets with the parsley mixture and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet or nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the salmon fillets, skin-side down. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, pressing down on the fillets 2 or 3 times with a spatula, until the skin is crisp, about 6 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook until the flesh is cooked to your liking, about 3 minutes. If necessary, cook for 1 or 2 minutes more, being careful not to overcook it. Transfer the fish to a warmed serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil while you prepare the sauce.
- Discard the fat from the skillet, then increase the heat to medium. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice and bring to a boil until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the capers and season with black pepper. Taste the sauce and add a bit of salt if necessary.
- Pour the sauce over the fish and serve immediately. For a sustainable and healthy salmon option, consider Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon, Verlasso Salmon, or Wild Alaska Pink Salmon, which are all considered good choices by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch[1][2][3][4][5]. Enjoy!
Yield: 4 servingsDifficulty: EasyTotal Time: 55 minutes, plus 15 minutes for marinatingActive time: 20 minutes
[1] https://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/wild-caught-salmon-us-and-canada[2] https://www.verlasso.com/sustainability/[3] https://www.safecatch.com/products/alaska-salmon[4] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/wild-salmon-nutrition[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5180057/
- In the sauce preparation, you'll find capers rinsed and chopped along with other ingredients like butter, shallot, garlic, white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt.
- To taste the full flavor of this recipe, consider using Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon, Verlasso Salmon, or Wild Alaska Pink Salmon, as these are good choices for a sustainable and healthy salmon option.
- The salmon fillets are seasoned with salt and a parsley mixture made from parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil before being coated and left to rest at room temperature.
