Perfectly cooked salmon that’s pre-marinated in a lemon herb mixture, then served with a lemony beurre blanc (i.e. lots of butter) sauce with capers. Each serving gets just a little bit of sauce, so it’s not so awfully wicked.
Surely I have no shortage of salmon recipes here on my blog, but I’m always open for another new preparation, especially when it’s served with this delicious, butter and lemon caper pan sauce. The recipe came from a recent cooking class with my favorite instructor, Phillis Carey. It’s not difficult – in fact it’s quite easy – although the sauce can be a bit tricky.
The SALMON: First you’ll marinate the salmon for no more than an hour. 15 minutes is better than no time in the marinade, but 1 hour is ideal if you can make the time. Then you either grill the salmon (you could do it on a stovetop grill also), or you can do long, slow baking, or you can do a slow broil. Read the recipe for instructions on doing any of those methods. My favorite method is the slow broil. Even the phrase sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Broil means high-high heat. And yes, it does, but to do a slow broil you put the fish on a broiler pan and place it 8-10 inches below the broil element. That way you don’t have to turn the fish over – it cooks completely this way. It’s a Phillis technique, and I’ve used it numerous times since she first taught it at a cooking class I went to about a year ago.
Beurre Blanc Tip:
the trick to beurre blanc is to add the butter in small pieces and never allow the mixture to bubble or even simmer. That way it will stay slightly thickened.
The SAUCE: Well, the sauce is really a buerre blanc and Phillis just makes it a little different with the addition of capers. You could also use dill or basil if you don’t like capers. I do, so I knew I’d love the sauce. The only thing to remember about making the sauce is to NOT allow the mixture bubble or boil or the sauce will separate and it’s ruined. Well, you could serve it, but it would just look like hot butter. When you add the butter gradually and keep the temp below a simmer, the sauce is slightly thickened. You need to serve it immediately, however.
The other trick to the sauce is to have EXACTLY 1/4 cup of liquid in the pan when you start to make it. If you have more, then you’ll have to add more butter. Less and the sauce will be too buttery. Once you remove all the shallots, pour out the liquid and measure it. If it’s a smidge over, put it back on the flame and reduce it to that perfect 1/4 cup. Beurre blanc isn’t a sauce that can easily be increased for a larger quantity – make it in 2 pans and ask someone else to help with the last-minute butter additions. If you’ve never made a beurre blanc, I might suggest you make it once – do it for a weeknight dinner so you understand how the chemistry works. Serve it over relatively plain chicken breasts or another kind of fish.
What’s GOOD: the fish, if cooked properly, is meltingly tender and tasty, and the sauce! Oh yes, the sauce is so darned good. Buttery. Rich. Understand, though, that you only eat a little tiny bit of it – it’s all you need!
What’s NOT: only the careful work needed to make the sauce – that’s why I suggest you make it once before you try it for guests. It’s not difficult.
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Grilled Lemon Herb Salmon with Lemon Piccata Caper Butter Sauce
Recipe By: From a Phillis Carey cooking class, 2013
Serving Size: 6
SALMON:
36 ounces salmon fillets — skinless, cut into 6 pieces
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Italian parsley — minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
LEMON CAPER BUTTER SAUCE:
3/4 cup dry white wine — not Chardonnay or vermouth
3 tablespoons shallots — chopped, not minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter — chilled, cut into 8 pieces
2 tablespoons capers — drained and rinsed
Notes: it is best to use a high-fat butter in this recipe. Grocery store butter contains more water and the sauce will not thicken as it should. Suggested brands: Plugra, Kerry Gold or Land O’Lakes. If doubling this recipe, make the sauce in 2 separate pans – it’s very difficult to make a beurre blanc sauce in a large quantity.
1. MARINADE: Place salmon fillets in a flat casserole dish. Combine the oil, lemon juice, parsley and thyme. Pour over the salmon, turning fillets to coat well. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes, or an hour is preferable. Do not marinate more than 1 hour or the fish will begin to “cook” because of the lemon juice (acid).
2. SAUCE: Combine wine, shallots and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat and cook it to reduce it to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes or so. It is VERY important that you measure the amount – pour it out into a glass or metal measuring cup to make sure it’s right on 1/4 cup. Pour mixture through a sieve to remove the shallots (discard them). Set the sauce mixture aside for up to 2 hours prior to serving (covered).
3. SALMON: If using an outdoor grill or stovetop grill, grill salmon for 4-6 minutes per side until JUST cooked. Internal temperature should be 135° if you have an instant read thermometer. You can also slow-roast the fish in a 250° oven for 25-30 minutes. Or use a slow-broil method: preheat broiler to high and move the oven rack to at least 8-10 inches below the broiler element. Place fish on a broiler rack and bake/broil the fish for 10-12 minutes total without turning over the fish. It will cook through perfectly.
4. FINISH: While salmon is grilling reheat the sauce mixture. Reduce heat to VERY low (just below a simmer) and add the butter, one piece at a time, taking great care NOT to allow the mixture to boil or bubble at all (if it does, the butter will separate and the sauce will never come together correctly). The sauce should thicken just slightly (because the butter is viscous) – if it is not thickened, add a bit more butter. Remove sauce from the heat and stir in capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place salmon on heated plates and spoon sauce over the salmon fillets to serve. This is best served on individual plates, not on a serving platter. If you must use a serving platter, pour sauce separately from a pitcher. The sauce is very rich and each fillet will get only 2 tablespoons or so of sauce total.
Per Serving: 440 Calories; 30g Fat (65.2% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 130mg Cholesterol; 144mg Sodium.
Kalyn
said on August 2nd, 2013:
I just wish I lived next door!
You could come to visit, Kalyn. Anytime! . . . carolyn t