Recipe > Mains
Salmon with a Lemon and Cream Sauce
A nice, quick and easy recipe with traditional flavours. If you prefer classic presentation ask your fishmonger to prepare the cutlets as noisettes

Serve with vegetables of your choice

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 Tblsp olive oil
4 x 170g / 6 oz salmon steaks or cutlets

For the marinade:
2 cloves garlic
3cm / 1thumb ginger
1 lemon, juice of
1/2 cup fresh herbs of your choice (parsley, oregano, basil)
85ml / 3fl oz white wine
1 Tsp cracked black pepper

For the sauce:
2 shallots or 1/2 an onion
150ml / 5fl oz dry white wine
150ml / 5fl oz cream
1 Tblsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

Mise-en-Place:
It is important to marinade the salmon for at least 1/2 an hour (if not overnight) before cooking, so include the marinade as part of your mise-en-place;
Chop the garlic, ginger and herbs, zest and juice the lemon
Mix all the marinade ingredients together
Toss the salmon through the marinade
Cover and set aside

Method:
In a large frying pan over a medium to heat:
Heat the olive oil
Pan-fry the salmon cutlets for 2-3 minutes each side
Remove the salmon from the pan
Add the shallots, cook until soft and brown. Be sure to scrape any sediment left in the pan to release maximum flavours
Add the wine, allow it to reduce to half its volume
Add the cream and lemon juice
Cook for 1 minute
Check the seasoning and serve

Adjust: The sauce
Too pink: Salmon should be served slightly pink, however if the interior is too pink for your taste return to the frying pan to cook further
Too bitter or sour: Add more cream
Too bland: Add salt, pepper and a touch of lemon juice
Too thin: Continue to heat until the liquid reduces

Presentation:
Lay the fish on the plate, pour over the sauce.
Garnish with a wedge of lemon and if you wish a sprig of any relevant herb that you used in the marinade
or
Arrange your side vegetables in the middle of the plate, lay the fish on top of the veg. Pour the source around the plate, garnish with lemon and herbs

Chef Tip:
I know that many of you prefer to cook salmon until it is well done. This is a mistake and it is important that you get over your fear of pink fish-flesh.
Over cooked salmon is not only dry with poor, crumbly texture but the flavours tend to taste more 'fishy' as opposed to 'fresh' and succulent
Serve the fish slightly pink to enjoy cleaner, lighter flavours with flesh that is still moist and tender.

Cowboy Trick:
Burnt one side of the salmon cutlet?
Place the salmon onto a chopping board. With a sharp knife cut the burnt flesh from the cutlet; this will remove the burnt aromas and charred flesh.
Place the freshly cut side down and have the other, unburnt side placed upwards.
Serve as normal