Salmon with Garlic Butter Sauce

Seared salmon basted in a lemony garlic butter, warm over a chopped garden salad

Serves 4 · 20 min

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The salmon
4 salmon fillets (~6 oz each) · salt · pepper · 1 Tbsp oil
Garlic butter sauce
4 Tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ lemon, juiced (+ a little zest)
chopped parsley or dill · pinch salt · chili flakes (optional)
The salad
red leaf + iceberg, chopped · a handful of broccoli sprouts
1 avocado, sliced · 1 garden tomato, wedged · ½ cucumber, sliced
feta (or goat cheese) · a light lemon vinaigrette — see the notes

Sear the salmon. Pat the fillets bone-dry, season with salt and pepper, and lay them skin-side down in the hot oil. Sear undisturbed 4–5 min until the skin is crisp and the flesh has cooked most of the way up, then flip for 1–2 min. Pull the fish at 125–130°F — still moist and just flaking.
Make the garlic butter. Lower the heat and melt the butter in the pan; add the garlic and cook gently, 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant — don't let it brown, scorched garlic turns bitter. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, zest, herbs, a pinch of salt (and chili flakes if you like).
Baste the fish. Spoon the garlic butter over the salmon, tilting the pan and basting so it soaks in and glosses the top. Let it rest a minute in the sauce.
Build the salad. Toss the chopped red leaf and iceberg with the cucumber and tomato and a light hand of lemon vinaigrette (the butter will add more). Pile onto plates, tuck in the avocado, scatter the broccoli sprouts and feta over the top.
Warm over cold. Set a fillet on each salad and spoon the pan's garlic butter over — it melts into the greens and finishes the dressing. Serve right away, while the fish is warm and the salad's still crisp.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Sear the salmon. Pat the fillets bone-dry, season with salt and pepper, and lay them skin-side down in the hot oil. Sear undisturbed 4–5 min until the skin is crisp and the flesh has cooked most of the way up, then flip for 1–2 min. Pull the fish at 125–130°F — still moist and just flaking.

2. Make the garlic butter. Lower the heat and melt the butter in the pan; add the garlic and cook gently, 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant — don't let it brown, scorched garlic turns bitter. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, zest, herbs, a pinch of salt (and chili flakes if you like).

3. Baste the fish. Spoon the garlic butter over the salmon, tilting the pan and basting so it soaks in and glosses the top. Let it rest a minute in the sauce.

4. Build the salad. Toss the chopped red leaf and iceberg with the cucumber and tomato and a light hand of lemon vinaigrette (the butter will add more). Pile onto plates, tuck in the avocado, scatter the broccoli sprouts and feta over the top.

5. Warm over cold. Set a fillet on each salad and spoon the pan's garlic butter over — it melts into the greens and finishes the dressing. Serve right away, while the fish is warm and the salad's still crisp.

Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.