Pan Seared Salmon Piccata is an impressive weeknight dinner that requires very few ingredients, but is so delicious. I’m a big fan of chicken piccata so this is a light twist on a classic.
I love the lemony, velvety sauce that tops this salmon. It’s only made up of white wine, lemon juice, butter and capers. That simple.
The traditional piccata dish is usually a flour coated and fried piece of meat, but I’m skipping the flour to keep this light and opting to just pan sear my salmon. It turns out perfectly cooked and you still get a crispy crust. Just make sure your pan is good and hot when adding your salmon to the pan.
Salmon cooks faster than you think and most of the time I find that people overcook salmon, but it can be, and should be, served medium rare. Think a flaky but buttery texture. Speaking of texture, I’m a big fan of that crispy seared salmon skin. If that’s not your jam, it can easily be peeled off after cooking. The skin really holds the fish together during the cooking process so don’t remove it prior to cooking.
Like any meat you cook up, always allow salmon to rest, this is a good time to make the sauce. Which comes together super quick so make sure you have everything ready to go in the pan. Remember, Mise en Place is important!
Mise en place is a French culinary phrase which means “putting in place” or “everything in its place“
Now let’s cook!
Pan Seared Salmon Piccata
When using salmon for this recipe, it's Alaskan or bust. Preferably Alaskan Sockeye Salmon or Copper River Salmon.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, about 5-6 ounces each
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, for seasoning
- 1/3 cup Dry White Wine {Chardonnay works great here}
- 1/2 Lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons Capers, drained
- 6 tablespoons Cold Butter, cubed
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
Directions
- Step 1 In a large nonstick pan heat olive oil over medium high heat. Season salmon with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Sear salmon skin side down first for 2 minutes then flip using a fish spatula and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Turn heat down and remove salmon to a serving plate.
- Step 2 To avoid any splatter, I like to wipe my pan clean with paper towels just to remove any remaining oil. Then you can make your sauce in the same pan and save on dishes.
- Step 3 Add the white wine, lemon juice and capers to the pan, simmer and reduce the wine by half, about 2 minutes. Whisk in cold butter and remove from heat once it’s almost melted into a sauce. Keep whisking until butter is completely melted. The sauce should look shiny and velvety smooth. Whisk in the chopped parsley and season with kosher salt to taste preference.
- Step 4 Pour sauce over seared salmon and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Savor and Enjoy!
So nice texture! And this wonderful crust… I love salmon with all my heart but, speaking sincerely, I don’t risk to eat it underdone or medium. It may seem ridiculous, but I’m still afraid of some kinds of parasites. Brr
Hi Anna! That’s totally fine and purely preference, like steak, on the doneness of your own food. After all, you’re the one eating it! So glad you enjoyed! Cheers!
do you have a newsletter to get some recipes , thanks