Sear-Roasted Salmon Fillets with Lemon-Ginger Butter

Serves four.

To learn more, read:
Sear-Roasting for Crisp and Juicy Results
by Isabelle Alexandre
from Fine Cooking
Issue 31
Last Edit Date: 7/19/2011 10:19:34 AM

Warming the lemon juice makes it easier to mix it into the softened butter. Wrapped well, the compound butter keeps for weeks in the freezer.

more about:

6 Tbs. butter, well softened at room temperature
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, warmed slightly
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs. snipped fresh chives
Olive oil for the pan
4 salmon fillets (5 oz. each), skinned if you like, patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, blend the butter, lemon juice, ginger, and chives well. Set aside at room temperature.

Heat the oven to 500°F. Set a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough oil to make a light film. Sprinkle the salmon lightly with salt and pepper. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon, skin side up, and cook until nicely browned, about 1 minute. Flip the fish over and put the skillet in the oven. Roast for 2 minutes for medium rare; 4 minutes for medium well. Check for doneness with the tip of a knife. Remove the pan from the oven, transfer the fish to serving plates, and immediately top the salmon with a dab of the lemon-ginger butter.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : with 1 tsp. of the butter; Calories (kcal): 290; Fat (g): 19; Fat Calories (kcal): 170; Saturated Fat (g): 5; Protein (g): 27; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 9; Carbohydrates (g): 0; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 4; Sodium (mg): 680; Cholesterol (mg): 85; Fiber (g): 0;

Photo: Ben Fink

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by joannalynn60, 9/26/2011A great "go to" recipe! We served it with brown rice and steamed green beans with a tad of the lemon butter.

by PhyllisM, 12/18/2010Great recipe, my husband who is not a big salmon eater really enjoyed this. The sauce was really tasty. Will definitely make this again.

by AlaskaCuisine, 4/24/2010This is one of the most wonderful recipes we make in our home! As an Alaskan who enjoys fishing for and stocking our freezer with Halibut and Salmon, we look for recipes that showcase the wonderful native fish we harvest. I like to freeze the Lemon-Ginger Butter in a log, slice off a medallion and have it available for a last minute dinner guest. Sometimes the best recipes will have very few ingredients, yet taste extraordinary in depth. Do make this and it will become a standard in your cooking library. My husband asks for it often!!!! as do our guests... always requesting the recipe. Enjoy this one!!!

by SB95020, 12/31/2008The Lemon-Ginger Butter was the real star of this recipe -- it was delicious on the salmon, as well as with steamed spinach that I served with it. The sear-roasting method turns out perfectly cooked salmon. I used skinned Sockeye fillets and roasted them for a full 5 minutes (we like our salmon more well-done than typical recipes call for).

by Virgie, 11/21/2007This is our favorite salmon recipe. I make this all the time. I even forgo the butter and just eat the salmon plain. It always comes out juicy with a nice crust.