Salmon Piccata
This salmon piccata recipe is a simple family dinner that pairs pan-seared salmon filets with a restaurant-quality white wine and caper sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 6- ounce sliced skin-on fresh salmon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ peeled small diced shallot
- 1 finely minced garlic cloves
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons minced freshly parsley
- Juice of ½ lemon
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Pat the salmon dry on both sides with paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add the oil to a large cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat until it smokes lightly.
- Place the salmon, skin side up, and add 1 tablespoon of butter to help brown it. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip it over, turn the heat down to medium, and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Remove the salmon and set it aside on a plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil/butter in the pan.
- Stir in the shallots and garlic, and cook for 30 to 45 seconds before deglazing with white wine and adding the capers. Cook until there are only 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid remaining.
- Add 1 tablespoon of parsley and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining butter by moving the pan in a circular motion to swirl it in and emulsify it. Adjust the seasoning with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Place the salmon back in the pan with the sauce, garnish with remaining parsley, and serve.
Notes
Pan-sear the salmon until the edges are golden and slightly caramelized; the meat easily flakes when scraped with a fork, and the color has turned opaque. My 6-ounce skin-on salmon fillets only took 3 minutes per side to sear to perfection.
Coat the salmon in flour: For extra crispy results, combine the salt and pepper with 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. Coat each dried salmon fillet in the flour mixture before pan-searing as usual.
For baked salmon piccata: For an even easier family dinner, arrange the salmon filets in a greased baking pan and bake in a 400ºF oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until flaky. Prepare the white wine sauce on the stove, then combine the baked salmon and sauce as usual before serving.
Grill the salmon instead: If you’re making this on a particularly nice day, you can grill the salmon filets before tucking them back into the white wine sauce on the stove.
Omit the wine: This will not be an actual piccata recipe without the white wine, but if you’d prefer to make the sauce without alcohol, you can replace it with an equal amount of chicken stock, vegetable stock, or fish stock. I recommend adding an extra splash of lemon juice at the end to replace the missing tangy flavors.
Make-Ahead: Pan-seared salmon is best when it’s eaten right away. However, if you want to get a head start on this recipe, prepare it up to 30 minutes in advance. Keep it warm in a covered skillet until serving.
How to Store: Transfer the leftover salmon and sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The leftovers should also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the salmon and sauce to a skillet and warm over low heat until heated. Add a splash of white wine or a knob of butter to the pan if the leftovers are a bit dry. You can also reheat the leftovers in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 565kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 34gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 247mgPotassium: 889mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 945IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mg