Salmon Piccata Recipe (15 Minutes)

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish (optional)

Steps

Season the salmon

1. Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels, then season on both sides with the salt and several grinds of black pepper.

Sear the salmon

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon skin-side up and sear until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until the skin is lightly crisp, about 3 minutes more.

   Transfer the salmon skin-side down to a plate. It may not be cooked through, and that’s okay—it will finish cooking in the sauce.

Make the sauce

1. Add the garlic to the pan and sautè until fragrant, less than 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until just slightly reduced, about 1 minute.

   Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the lemon zest and juice, capers, Dijon, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir to combine and melt the butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Finish cooking the salmon

1. Return the salmon skin-side down to the pan. Simmer until just cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the salmon registers 120°F to 130°F (for medium-rare), 1 to 2 minutes. If you like your salmon medium-well or well-done, cook for a few minutes longer. Garnish with the parsley, if desired.