Salmon cooked to perfect flaky tenderness in minutes with a lovely browned, caramelized top. Drizzled with a sumptuous, silky smooth, sweet and lemony Dijon butternut hollandaise sauce that ditches the fat for flavor. You can easily pull together this stellar restaurant quality meal in just 15 minutes at home. Yes, seriously, just 15 minutes. And did I mention, it’s heart healthy?
What makes this recipe sing? Using a simple technique, pan-searing the salmon in oil results in a beautifully browned, caramelized top. First you season the salmon on both sides. Then setting the salmon fillet skin side up in the pan, you brown the top. Finally, flip to cook the salmon through.
After you flip the salmon, all you need to do is check the fish periodically and pull it off just as soon as it’s flaky. Perhaps just slightly before you think it’s fully done. Once flipped, you will need about 5 minutes of very focused time. This is not a time to multi-task. (Aside from maybe pouring yourself a glass of wine.) Stay by the stove, ready to seize that beautiful piece of fish right at the height of perfection.
About that Butternut Dijon Hollandaise Sauce …
Perfectly pan-seared flaky salmon is such a delight. But with that divine butternut hollandaise sauce! That sauce reminds me of an addictive honey Dijon sauce that Olive Garden used to serve many many years ago with crunchy fried mozzarella triangles. We loved that sauce so much, we asked them for the recipe. And they actually gave it to us! But the funny part was it was the full restaurant-size quantity. So the recipe literally made gallons of sauce. I’ve long since lost that recipe. But when I first tasted this sauce, the memory came flooding back.
As far as I know, the Olive Garden no longer serves that amazing sauce. Unless you have their recipe, this is the closest you’re ever going to get to taste that bit of culinary magic.
What if you don’t have butternut squash on hand? Not to worry! You can substitute pumpkin or other sweet winter squash.
What to serve with Pan Seared Salmon?
Because the salmon cooks so quickly, you should think about what you want to serve it with before you begin cooking.
Today, I tossed some cauliflower and turnips in the air fryer while my salmon was cooking. And I massaged some curly kale with a bit of olive oil to serve as a bed for my salmon. The crunchy air-fried veggies were just perfect with the salmon. Especially when dipped in that divine butternut hollandaise sauce. I ate all the bits of kale too. Because I love kale. Yeah, I’m weird that way.
Oh but there are so many other great options to serve with this lovely pan seared salmon!
- Steamed broccoli – if you have frozen broccoli florets in the freeze, just throw some in a bowl, season and microwave until hot, stirring a couple times to get all the pieces cooked
- Air fryer asparagus, with (or without) mushrooms
- Maple Bacon Green Beans Almondine
- Roasted brussels sprouts
- Brown or wild rice – or whole grain pasta
- Creamy baked butternut brown rice risotto – with only a tiny bit of stirring time, most of the magic happens in the oven
- Baked Steak Fries or low carb air fryer Turnip Fries for dipping in that silky smooth butternut sauce
- Colcannon – the Irish favorite of mashed potatoes with cabbage, butter and bacon
- Salad! A simple side salad will do, or try one of these options:
- Irish Pea Salad with grass fed Irish Cheese and sweet peppers
- Simple Lemony Kale Salad
- Lemony Asparagus Quinoa Salad
Quick Pan Seared Salmon with Butternut Dijon Hollandaise
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 1 – 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Salmon cooked to perfect flaky tenderness in minutes with a lovely browned, caramelized top. Drizzled with a sumptuous, silky smooth, sweet and lemony Dijon butternut hollandaise sauce that ditches the fat for flavor.
Ingredients
For the butternut dijon hollandaise sauce:
- 1/2 cup leftover roasted butternut squash (hot)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or melted grass-fed butter
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- A pinch of chipotle powder or cayenne (or to taste)
- About 6 Tablespoons hot water (or as needed to thin)
- Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
For each serving of salmon:
- 1 salmon fillet (3 – 4 oz.)
- A bit of avocado oil (or olive oil)
- Old Bay Seasoning and dried dill
- Salt & freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Assemble all your ingredients ahead of time and arrange them in groups. This recipe comes together FAST and you want to be prepared.
- Blend together the sauce ingredients in a small blender cup or mini food processor until smooth. Add hot water a bit at a time until the mixture is thinned enough that you could drizzle it with a spoon. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Pour a bit of avocado oil (or olive oil) in the pan and use a spatula to coat the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with seasonings, salt & pepper, then set the salmon, skin side UP in the pan. Cover and let cook for 3 -5 minutes or until beautifully browned on the bottom.
- Flip the salmon so the skin side is down. Cover and reduce heat slightly. Stay close! Cook for 3- 5 minutes longer or until the salmon starts to look cooked on the side and flakes in the thicker part when poked with a fork. Immediately remove from heat and move the salmon to a plate.
- Serve with a drizzle of the sauce over top and plenty more sauce on the side for spooning over the uncovered bits or dipping your veggies in.
Notes
RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ … © Copyright 2022, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
Keywords: Salmon, Dijon, Butternut, Hollandaise, Heart healthy, Gluten free
More Spectacular Salmon Recipes
From my kitchen:
- Pineapple Plank Grilled Salmon
- Walnut Crusted Salmon
- Maple Jerk Salmon with Cucumber Cantaloupe Salsa
- Lemon Grilled Salmon with Rosemary Garlic Grilled Veggies
- Cashew Salmon with Apricot Cranberry Quinoa
My foodie friends shared some of their fabulous salmon recipes too:
- Drunken Smoked Salmon from What’s Cookin’ Italian Cuisine
- Pineapple Teriyaki Salmon from What’s Cookin’ Italian Cuisine
- Oven Roasted Salmon from Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine
- Smoked Salmon Puffs from Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine
- Roasted Salmon Tacos with Black Grape Sauce & Golden Beets from Bacon Fatte
- Four Seasons Soft Smoked Salmon from Bacon Fatte
- Blackened Salmon Burgers with BLT Slaw from An Affair from the Heart
- Roasted Salmon with Potatoes & Green Beans Sheet Pan Meal from An Affair from the Heart
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