Wild King Salmon With Savory Whipped Cream

By David Tanis

Wild King Salmon With Savory Whipped Cream
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(712)
Comments
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The wild king salmon season opens in May on the West Coast and continues through summer, from Alaska all the way to San Diego. The first wild salmon in spring has brilliant red flesh, a mild sweet flavor and a velvetlike texture. Farmed salmon doesn’t compare. In this recipe, the salmon is cut on the diagonal into thin slices that cook quickly. They are topped with softly whipped cream that's seasoned with mustard, cayenne and lemon zest.

Featured in: The Brilliant Red Salmon That’s Worth the Splurge

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 1½pounds king salmon fillet, skin off and pin bones removed
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½cup heavy cream
  • 2teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • ½teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1tablespoon snipped chives
  • 2tablespoons butter
  • Tarragon leaves, for garnish
  • Watercress, for garnish
  • Violets, nasturtiums or other edible flower petals for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

340 calories; 26 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 24 grams protein; 327 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Slice salmon diagonally into 6 four-ounce portions about ½ to ¾ inch thick (or have your fishmonger slice it). Place on a cutting board or baking sheet. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Put cream in a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk until just barely thickened. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, some freshly ground pepper, the mustard, the cayenne and the lemon zest. Beat again until soft peaks form, but don’t let the cream get too stiff. Fold in chives. Taste and adjust seasoning.

  3. Step 3

    Put butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When butter begins to foam, add salmon pieces and reduce heat slightly. Cook gently on one side for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook one minute more. Turn off heat and let rest for 2 minutes. Salmon should be cooked through but moist. Be careful not to overcook.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer salmon to a platter or individual plates. Spoon some savory whipped cream over each serving. Garnish with tarragon, watercress and flowers, if desired.

Ratings

5 out of 5
712 user ratings
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Comments

Perignon

It means that if you have the whole filet laid out horizontally in front of you, don't cut straight down from the long top edge to the long bottom edge, instead cut at an angle. When cut diagonally, the two "end" pieces are more triangular in shape than the "middle" portions.

Having spent years as a chef, and having cooked fresh salmon for decades, (I live just outside of Portland, OR) it's really more of a presentation technique than a cooking technique.

trblmkr

I believe it means to slice the fillet at a 45 degree angle or even shallower angle for thinner slices (and faster cooking).
IMO, I would eschew the whole butter pan fry step(which takes away from the natural salmon flavor) and broil the whole fillet for about 4-5 minutes.

SonomaSMB

However you cook your salmon, this sauce is incredible. And it is so adaptable to any other proteins, with a myriad of seasonings. Follow the recipe or be creative with this!

kjohns

This is a delicious, elegant sauce for salmon. Definitely on my repeat list. I made it last night with Atlantic salmon with the skin on. Pan cooked first with skin up and nicely charred the fish. Then flipped skin side down to finish cooking. I cooked a few minutes more than the recipe instructions until still pink in middle. Served the cream sauce on the side with sliced scallions to sprinkle over. I had whipped the cream until fairly thick and it was perfect. One time I under whipped it and sauce melted quickly. I prefer the thicker sauce. My husband loved this dish.

nutmegger

Really wonderful - we made this for Easter lunch. Such a nice way to have a fancy “sauce” without having to cook one. I did follow one commenter’s advice and added the tarragon into the cream with the chives, which was a good call. Make this when you want something simple but elegant.

Stefan Long

This was a wonderful recipe. We made it with Salmon steaks. We just moved to Portugal and dont have many kitchen items; so I improvised with the cream sauce! I used sage and all of the other ingredients and tried my best to whip up the sauce with a fork. In the end I put the sauce into a small pot on a small burner on low and developed the cream sauce. We will definitely make this again! Thanks David T!

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