Pan-seared salmon in lemon-garlic-brown butter sauce

The following recipe was developed (as were most of the others I've posted so far) in the middle of the quarantine of 2020-21, due to the coronavirus. Unintentionally, this recipe also happened to be perfectly suitable to the dietary constraints of the season of Lent-- though I first came up with it months after Lent 2020 had ended.

Catholics 14 and older are required to fast from the meat of warm-blooded animals (i.e., no beef, pork, turkey, chicken, etc.-- but fish is OK, and so are broths and stocks, even made from otherwise-impermissible meats) on at least 7 days of the year. These days are Ash Wednesday (the day on which Lent begins, which is 40 days, not including Sundays, before Easter) and every Friday of Lent (between Ash Wednesday and Easter, six in total). Only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (the last Friday before Easter), Catholics who have already turned 18 but who have not yet turned 60 must also fast-- that is, limit themselves to one large meal and two smaller ones which together don't equal or exceed the "large" meal. This recipe satisfies both the fasting and abstinence requirements, so it's perfect for Lent!

Remove salmon filets from packaging and be sure to dry as thoroughly as possible. I recommend that skin-on, deboned salmon fillet pieces or steaks be used for the best presentation (whether you like to eat the skin or not, leaving it on while this fish cooks helps the structure stay intact). If you must use skinless fillets or steaks, do so, but be particularly careful to follow this step; surface moisture is the enemy of the structural integrity of fish cuts, especially those without skins holding them together. 

Zest, then juice, one lemon. Combine zest, juice, and 1/2 tsp water. Reserve.

Coat salmon fillets in seasoned flour (salt, pepper, dry dill, garlic powder), shaking off excess as necessary. Coat the whole piece of fish, but don't leave too much excess on the fish. If too much excess exists, it will burn and thus damage the flavor of the fish and its accompanying sauce. 

Brown about 2-3 Tbsp unsalted butter in a saute pan. This should smell nutty, but not burned. If the butter burns, throw it away, clean your pan, and start over. The butter will form the foundation of the sauce which will flavor the fish and it will be the fat in which the fish will be cooked, so it is important that the flavor of the butter not be burned. If the butter burns, the burned flavor will overpower anything else that flavors the fish. This motion will also begin the emulsifying process. 

Once the butter is browned successfully, add about an equal amount of olive oil to the pan, and gradually increase the heat. This step is necessary because the olive oil is much colder than the butter or the pan, so its addition will lower the temperature of both of those things. However, especially at high heats, the milk solids in already-browned butter can go from aromatic to burned in seconds, so be sure to keep the butter and oil moving (but do so safely) so as to not scorch anything. 

When the pan is back to its original temperature (after dropping and coming back up when the cold oil went in), add the fillets skin down. Do not touch them for four minutes. Leaving the fish undisturbed for the entire period is crucial; it allows the fish to cook evenly, it allows the Maillard browning reaction to take place, and it guarantees the best presentation because the fish will not be broken apart. 

After four minutes, using tongs and/or a fish spatula, turn each fillet, doing everything possible to keep the fillet in one piece. Again, this is done to ensure the best presentation and to ensure even doneness. 

Add the reserved lemon juice-water-zest to the pan, initially pouring into a part of the pan not contacted by the fish. Cook for another four minutes, basting the fish with the sauce now formed in the pan (lemon juice, lemon zest, water, oil, butter) continuously over that period. Take the fish off the heat and flip it over, back to skin-down orientation. Rest for 2 minutes, then serve. I typically serve the fish on top of a bed of couscous prepared to the manufacturer's instructions.  


If you make this, be sure to leave a comment down below letting me know!