I couldn’t resist. It’s another salmon dish. I was craving my favorite protein so I had to give in. In fairness, I always try to dress this dish up in different flavors and this week I come to you all with one of my all time favorites so far. This Tuscan Butter Salmon was absolutely divine. The simplicity of this recipe blew me away almost as much as the explosion of flavor! I promise I won’t post about my favorite fish every week but what can I say, your girl loves a good salmon!
This was another instance of perfecting my pan searing technique. I didn’t brine my fish but I paid extra attention to the time I spent cooking on each side, especially before I flipped the salmon to the skin side. I’m happy to report, based on the amount of oil and my close attention, no fish was stuck the pan this time around. Sweet, sweet victory in my book. After setting the salmon aside, making the creamy well-seasoned sauce to bathe it in was a breeze.
I love Italian flavors and the mix of spinach, cream, and tomato was everything I wanted and more. I served my dish with some garlic mashed potatoes. I had plenty of spuds left over from last week’s shepherd’s pie and didn’t want them to go to waste. If potatoes aren’t your style, I would suggest pasta. It was my second choice had I not had the potatoes left. In the event you wanted to take the pasta route, I would suggest doubling the sauce so you have extra! I’m not going to pretend that this is my last salmon dish, there’s sure to be more. This week is a definite quick and easy meal with fantastic flavors that just won’t quit!
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Season salmon all over with salt and pepper.
When the oil is shimmering but not smoking, add salmon skin side up and cook until deeply golden, about 6 minutes. Flip over and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add butter. When butter has melted, stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are cooked, then add spinach. Cook until spinach is beginning to wilt.
Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, and herbs and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
Return salmon back to skillet and spoon over sauce. Simmer until salmon is cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
Garnish with more herbs and squeeze lemon on top if desired.
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