Marry Me Salmon Delight (Printable version)

Tender salmon with creamy garlic and sun-dried tomato sauce, ideal for a quick and elegant dinner.

# What you need:

→ Salmon

01 - 2 skinless salmon fillets
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - Salt to taste
04 - Black pepper to taste
05 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika, optional

→ Creamy Sauce

06 - 4 cloves garlic, freshly minced
07 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
08 - 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
09 - 1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
10 - 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or nutritional yeast
11 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
12 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

14 - 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon fillets and sear for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
05 - Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is creamy. Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to taste.
07 - Return seared salmon fillets to skillet, spooning sauce over top. Simmer for 5-7 minutes on low heat until salmon is heated through and sauce thickens slightly.
08 - Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately with rice, pasta, or roasted vegetables.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in thirty minutes, which means you can actually enjoy time with the person you're cooking for instead of stressing over timing.
  • The sauce does all the heavy lifting—creamy, garlicky, and sophisticated enough to feel like you studied culinary school.
  • Salmon gets a bad reputation for being tricky, but this method keeps it tender and forgiving, almost impossible to mess up.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the salmon—any moisture on the surface steams instead of sears, and you'll miss that crucial golden-brown exterior that makes this dish feel special.
  • The sauce thickens slightly as it cools, so if it seems a touch thin when you're plating, it will continue to set beautifully and won't look runny on the plate.
03 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy, it's usually because the heat was too high—lower it immediately and stir in a splash of cold broth to calm everything down.
  • The salmon continues cooking slightly after you remove it from direct heat, so pull it when it's just barely cooked through rather than waiting for it to be completely opaque.
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