Brown butter salmon with capers and sundried tomatoes is a dish more sophisticated than the usual seared salmon — but no harder to prepare. This delicious weeknight salmon gets an elegant upgrade with simple ingredients and can be ready in less than 30 minutes.
This brown butter salmon with capers and sundried tomatoes is what we call in our family "Ray's salmon". Every summer we join the family in western New York for a long weekend. One of the traditions of this weekend is enjoying perfectly cooked salmon served with a delicious brown butter sauce. Ray, my brother in law either grills or smokes fresh wild salmon fillets and serves them with this fantastic brown butter sauce with sundried tomatoes, capers, and pine nuts. To give you an idea of how delicious this dish is both children and adults are big fans and demand it every year without fail.
Browning the butter adds a nutty richness to the salmon and tastes delicious. The capers and sundried tomatoes add a sweet yet tart more complex flavor and a Mediterranean feel to the dish.
I asked Ray's permission to develop a recipe based on his signature dish and he graciously approved (actually he said he has no idea what the correct measurements are, he just adds them in the pan and the sauce appears. 🙂
Here is what you need
How to make this salmon
This brown butter salmon is very quick to make. It will take less than 30 minutes to sear 4 fillets and make the sauce. It can be a weeknight dinner but can effortlessly hold its own as an elevated when served at a dinner party.
Add two salmon fillets to the pan at a time.
(skin side down first if you like crispy skin. Please see recipe notes)
Cook each side for 4 minutes until golden and flaky.
Place a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the pine nuts. Toast pine nuts for 2-3 minutes until they are nice and brown. Please don't overdo it; they will become bitter and inedible.
What to serve with this salmon
Pair this brown butter salmon with a green salad, roasted vegetables, araka (sweet peas with dill). Add some crusty bread to complete your meal and enjoy the sauce.
Check out my Greek pantry staples
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Brown Butter Salmon With Capers And Sundried Tomatoes
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets with skin or not, whatever you like.
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes
- 1 stick salted butter
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Pat the salmon dry on both sides. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add two salmon fillets to the pan (skin side down first if you like crispy skin. Please see recipe notes)Cook each side for 4 minutes until golden and flaky.
While salmon cooks make the sauce.
- Chop the sundried tomatoes into medium-small pieces.
- Place a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the pine nuts. Toast pine nuts for 2-3 minutes until they are nice and brown. Don't overdo it, pine nuts will become bitter and inedible.
- Add the butter to the pan. Stir the butter with a spatula continuously. After 2 to 3 minutes, the butter will start to brown. Be careful not to burn the butter. If needed lower the heat.
- Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and stir for 1 minute. Add the capers, stir brown butter sauce and serve immediately over salmon fillets.
Notes
Nutrition
