I probably make a variation of this at least once a week. It’s a quick and easy weeknight dinner and you can pair it with whatever frozen veggies or salad you have laying around. A lot of times I’ll make it with Trader Joe’s brown rice, which only takes 3 minutes to microwave. #lazy
I get the boneless, skinless salmon fillets from Costco. You can defrost them in a bowl of warm water for about 20 minutes prior to cooking. Salt and pepper, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in your pan, add salmon and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side. I use cast iron, since that’s what I use for everything, but pretty much any pan will do.
Now for the sauce. I throw a knob of butter (a tablespoon or two) in the hot pan, sprinkle with a pinch of flour (a teaspoon or so). The roux will bubble as you stir constantly for about a minute.
Let the sauce burn off some of the liquid and thicken up. Add your capers and pour over your salmon and accompanying veggies.
Dinner (and for me, tomorrow’s lunch) is served!
Ingredients:
Frozen salmon fillet(s)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Butter
1 Lemon
Pinch Flour
Tablespoon-ish of Capers
Slosh of White Wine
MMM MMMM GOOD! I just so happen to have capers and lemons in the larder. Might one also add a bit of garlic, or perhaps sliced spring onions or leeks to this? (Well, I might.) Looks delicious – and there is salmon defrosting in my kitchen right this very second.
Drat. Costco up in Canada City sells Rainbow Trout fillets… this would be great with them. I should have bought some with my sister’s membership… oh right… the crowds.
I do the same sauce with chicken sometimes too.
My favorite breakfast place does a grilled rainbow trout with orange instead of lemon, fried potatoes on the side. So good.
If you’re lazy like me, you can skip defrosting and just poach the frozen filets (out of the packaging, of course).
Just put them in a pan with enough liquid (water, white wine, coconut milk… definitely not maple syrup) to just cover. Add a little bit of salt and pepper, maybe some butter and lemon or lime, then turn the heat on low and stick a lid on the pan. When the liquid starts steaming, check the fish and it is probably mostly or all the way cooked through.
The only tricky thing is not to overcook them, so don’t get lost in your phone and forget about them while they start boiling away.
You don’t get that nice sear, but as long as you get them right as they finish cooking they are great.
Good point – so easy to overcook fish! Keep an eye on it.
I throw stuff under the broiler for a hot sec if I want a little sear, so that might work.
I love salmon, and this looks delicious. But I have a confession to make. I’ve never eaten capers. I’m not an adventurous eater, I have the palate of a 12 year old. I can make the sauce but I probably won’t add the capers.
They are just little salt bombs. I’d say if you don’t like pickles you might not like them.
I love pickles. But they look weird.
* read in a whining voice*
Love salmon. I like to burn the fuck out of the skin side and chew on it later like a dog.
Hot.
I love salmon. I hate capers. I like the one ALDI sells; cheap [$7 / lbs?] and good. I prefer it grilled. Add some corn, peas, broccoli and lots of ev olive oil and dinner is ready!
We just got an Aldi but I haven’t been there yet, and probably won’t for a while now. But looking forward to checking it out.