Salmon with Blueberry Butter

A one-of-a-kind gourmet treat that makes weekends extra special, salmon with blueberry butter is a delightful dish that is colorful, vibrant, succulent and unforgettable

Make the blueberry butter ahead of time, at least a night or a day before so that the flavors infuse and when you cook the salmon, it will melt and penetrate the succulent flesh of the fish which is good. Before frying the salmon in the pan, rinse the fish quickly and pat it dry with a cloth. If the fish is frozen, it should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure to get rid of any excess water so the skin crisps nicely and it will take on a nice golden brownish pink color. Do so gently, however, and don’t press out the natural moisture inside the fish.
In this recipe, salmon is pan-fried and flavored with shallots, Vermouth, and blueberry butter and garnished with walnuts and freshly chopped parsley. Blueberry butter is made with fresh blueberries, butter, thyme, lemon rind, onions, and freshly ground pepper just like other fish recipes. A wide spectrum of flavors and pleasant aromas will greet you as you make this dish and it is sure to impress guests.

After patting it dry, coat the fish lightly with flour so that it develops a delicious crisp skin when it is cooked. Before placing the fish in the pan, the oil should be hot to sear the skin of the salmon and seal in its juices, giving it succulence. The oil should not be smoking hot, however, or the fish will burn. The oil should be deep enough to cover half of the thickness of the salmon fillets. Three to five minutes on medium heat on each side should be enough to cook the salmon through. This is one of the cooking recipes where the salmon fillets skin side first and turn it over once when half the flesh is cooked.

Ingredients

For the Blueberry Butter:

4 oz. butter (room temperature)
½ lemon rind, grated
2 oz. fresh blueberries (chopped)
1/8 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 green onion (chopped)
Pepper (freshly ground)

For the Salmon:

2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon chopped shallots
¼ cup fresh thyme leaves
4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each)
All purpose flour
4 oz. dry Vermouth
Blueberry butter (see recipe above)
4 oz. walnuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation Instructions

Make the blueberry butter a day ahead by beating the butter until creamy. Add the rind, blueberries, thyme, onion, and a little pepper and stir until blended. Chill.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and thyme and sauté for 2 minutes.

Lightly dust the salmon with flour. Add the fish to the skillet, flesh side facing up. Cook until colored then turn.

Add the Vermouth. Top each fish fillet with about ½ oz. of the blueberry butter. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently until fish is cooked through. Sprinkle the salmon with walnuts and parsley just before serving.