Salmon Meuniere

During COVID, we relied heavily on home delivery of our groceries from the supermarket as well as from shopping channels like QVC and HSN. And even now that the pandemic has been declared officially over, we still do a lot of shopping online since we’ve opted not to have a car and also because I’m still wary of crowded stores with narrow aisles. Throughout this period, one of our staples has been frozen salmon fillets which have been remarkably good albeit challenging to cook owing to their irregular size. So, when we get two almost identical fillets, I turn to one of my favorite recipes for them: salmon meuniere.

I discovered this recipe, a variation on the classic French sole meuniere, on Erin Clarke’s website Well Plated. Although it took a few attempts to get it just right, I’ve finally mastered the dish and present it here. What I especially like about the recipe is that you can prepare it to satisfy a couple’s different preferences for doneness. My husband prefers his slightly more done than I do, so I simply leave his portion in the oven a little longer than mine.

I pretty much followed the recipe as written but used more butter and a tad more lemon juice and zest to increase the amount of pan sauce. In addition, because we both like the briny taste of capers, I chose to forego draining them. Finally, I reduced the oven cooking time by a minute or so to avoid overcooking the salmon.

This easy recipe with a minimum of ingredients yields perfectly cooked salmon that’s moist and flaky. The buttery pan sauce with lemon and capers provides a briny complement to the flavor of the salmon, without overpowering it.

Salmon Meuniere (adapted from a recipe on Well Plated by Erin Clarke)

Ingredients:

¼ cup all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt divided
½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 6-ounce salmon fillets, skins removed
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest, about ½ lemon
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice about 1 small lemon
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon nonpareil capers

Instructions

1. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.

2 In a large, shallow plate (a pie dish works well), combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

3. Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt over the top.

4. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) oven safe cast iron skillet or similar sturdy-bottomed oven safe skillet over medium heat. Continue to heat, swirling the pan periodically, until it begins to brown.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Dredge both sides of the salmon fillets in the flour mixture.

6. Shake off the excess then gently place them in the hot butter, top-side down.

7. Cook without disturbing them for 3 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

8. When the salmon turns opaque on the sides and starts to turn opaque on top, use a flexible spatula to flip the salmon.

9. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice to the pan.

10. Place the skillet immediately into the oven and let cook for 4 to 5 minutes (the salmon may appear a little under cooked in the center but will finish cooking as it rests). Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Let rest 4 to 5 minutes.

11. To serve, place each piece of salmon on a warmed plate and spoon the pan sauce liberally over the top. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and capers. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy immediately.