Pan Seared Salmon with Beurre Blanc Sauce

This Pan-Seared Salmon with Beurre Blanc Sauce and Veggie Nests is a beautiful main course for any special occasion! The rich Beurre Blanc Sauce, combined with the crunchy veggie nests, and fresh parsley make this dish both fresh and decadent all at the same time.

And it’s also a very pretty plate too, which makes it perfect for Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day, or Anniversaries too! For more romantic dinner ideas see my 7 Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas post. 

Recipe Pairing Ideas:

• To begin try my Potato and Leek Soup or  my Tarte au Soleil with Pesto
• For dessert try my Lavender Creme Brulee or my easy Madeleines with Orange Zest

What is Beurre Blanc Sauce? 

• A beurre blanc sauce is a popular French sauce, originating from the Loire Valley in France.
• It is made from reducing white wine (Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc) shallots and typically some kind of herb (parsley, thyme, tarragon) adding heavy cream, and then creating an “emulsion” by slowly adding butter cubes into the sauce, little by little until thick and creamy.
• It’s typically served with fish, and the combination of flakey fish with this rich delicious sauce is just divine!
• For a wonderful French sauce served with Chicken try my 15-Minute Chicken Dijon recipe.

 

Watch My Video Demo of This Recipe Below!

 

Step 1: Make the Veggie Nests

• To make the nests, use a vegetable peeler with a julienne setting
• I like to use a combination of colors for the best visual effect. I like zucchini, carrots, yellow squash, and asparagus.
• I serve these veggies raw, which sounds strange, but it’s the perfect texture to go with the decadent sauce and tender fish.
• If you prefer to cook them, you can sauté with olive oil or butter for a few minutes.
• Place in a bowl and round the edges of the stack for a “nest” effect. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.
• I like to portion these out ahead of time, so they are all ready to go when the salmon is done.

Step 2: Make the Beurre Blanc Sauce

• Beurre Blanc sauce comes from Loire Valley in France, where my husband was born, and also where we were married.
• We served this sauce at our wedding and my relatives from the States couldn’t stop talking about this sauce!
• To a saucepan, you’ll add white wine, shallots, and parsley. The wine, shallots, and parsley form the basis of the rich flavor of the sauce.

Reduce the Wine

• You’ll simmer this mixture until almost completely evaporated.
• You really want a pan that is almost dry without any liquid remaining.
• This concentrates the flavor back into the shallots and parsley that remains.

Adding the Heavy Cream

• Add heavy cream to the same saucepan and whisk.
• The heavy cream creates a wonderful richness to this sauce which will be even better once you add the butter!

Adding The Butter

• Next, slowly add the butter. This is where the emulsion comes into play. You’ll add the butter slowly, a little at a time, to assure it combines and thickens with the sauce.
• Since we are working with a whole stick of butter (yes, I know!), make sure it is chilled and right out of the fridge.
• You can cube this butter by cutting lengthwise, then turning the stick vertically, and cutting lengthwise again.
• Then, you can cut across the stick of butter, like usual, to get even and small cubes. This way, you can be sure you aren’t adding too much at a time. Take your time and add little by little.
• As you add the butter, be sure to keep it on a low flame and whisk all the while.

Yes, it Really Does Need All That Butter

• You will question your sanity (and mine) as you add all of the butter, but trust me.
• The sauce really does need it, and it will not taste like a butter bomb once the recipe is complete.
• Despite the amount of butter, this sauce feels and tastes so light, which is what makes it so dangerous!
• Once all of the butter has been added, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a Pyrex pitcher, then add the mixture back to the saucepan.

Keeping the Sauce Warm

• Continue to keep this on a low flame.If you forget about your sauce and it begins to boil, the sauce is broken.
• You will notice immediately that the butter has separated and looks like it’s all on top instead of well-blended.
• But don’t worry, we can fix it!

How Do You Fix a Broken Beurre Blanc Sauce? 

• If you add the butter too fast and it doesn’t emulsify properly you’ll have what’s known as a “broken sauce”.
• The best way to fix a broken Beurre Blanc sauce is to add 1 tsp of water in a bowl and slowly add the broken sauce in a steady stream, whisking all the while until it comes back together.
• Then you can slowly reheat it on the stovetop under a very low flame.

Can You Reheat a Beurre Blanc Sauce?

• Personally, I have not had success with reheating a Beurre Blanc sauce from a refrigerated state.
• This sauce is really best made right on the spot and kept on the lowest flame possible before serving.
• However, if you must make it an hour or so before I would recommend keeping it warm in a thermos and then reheating slowly to the desired temperature in a saucepan.
• But don’t take the heat too high or you will break the sauce and it will separate.

Step 3: Prepare the Salmon

• For this recipe, you’ll need six-ounce salmon fillets which will be seared in a non-stick and oven-safe pan.
• Be sure your skillet is oven-safe! (no plastic handles!)
• Place the salmon on a place or cutting board with the skin side down, and salt and pepper the tops.

Searing the Salmon

• Heat a non-stick skillet, until very hot, and melt a spoonful of coconut oil in the pan.
• I like to use coconut oil for this recipe because it creates a nice, toasted color on the fish.
• Don’t worry, the coconut flavor is very faint and will not impact the flavors of the dish.
• Lay the fillets in the pan skin side up in the pan.

Flipping the Fish

• Allow the fish to get a really nice sear by waiting until the bottom turns a little opaque, or light pink.
• When the bottom turns opaque, gently flip the fish to the skin side down.
• Place the pan into a 350F (175C) degree oven for about 6-8 minutes for two fillets.
• This is a similar technique I use with my Summer Salmon Recipe Served with Tzatziki Sauce and my Pan-Seared Salmon with Roasted Vegetables, both equally good!

How do you know when salmon is done?

• The FDA says salmon is safe to eat at 145F (62C) degrees, but the longer salmon is cooked, the more moisture and flavor it loses.
• I think 145F degrees is perfect for a tender, flaky and moist piece of fish.
• Once your salmon is done, place salmon on top of veggie nests and spoon the Beurre Blanc sauce over the fish.
• Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!

More French Recipes You’ll Love:

• Pear Almond Tart
• French Apple Tart
• Baked Brie with Fig Jam
• Chicken and Mushroom Crepes