Mary Berry Salmon With Lemon Sauce​ Recipe

Mary Berry Salmon With Lemon Sauce is a classic British seafood main. It uses fresh salmon fillets, shallots, double cream, and zingy lemon juice to create a light yet satisfying dinner.

I found that the heat management is the part most people get wrong with this dish. If the pan is too hot when the wine hits it, the liquid disappears before it can pick up the flavour from the shallots. You want a gentle sizzle, not a steam cloud that hits the ceiling. Skipping the reduction step leaves the sauce watery and sharp rather than rich and velvety.

The double cream and lemon combination is a classic for a reason, but the zest is the part that actually carries the scent. Without it, the sauce tastes heavy, but with it, the whole meal feels light. I’ve tried a few versions of salmon and this one from Mary Berry is the one I keep going back to because the sauce is so balanced. It’s my go-to when I want something that feels fancy but takes less than twenty minutes.

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Mary Berry Salmon With Lemon Sauce Ingredients

For the salmon

• 2 salmon fillets, skin on or off
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the lemon sauce

• 25g (1oz) butter
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 120ml (4fl oz) dry white wine or vegetable stock
• 120ml (4fl oz) double cream
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

How To Make Mary Berry Salmon With Lemon Sauce

1. Prepare the salmon: Lay the salmon fillets on a clean board and pat them with kitchen roll until the surface is completely dry. Use a sharp knife to check for any stray scales or bones that might have been left behind. Season the skin and the flesh with a generous amount of salt and black pepper from a height to get an even coating.
2. Cook the salmon: Pour the olive oil into a non-stick frying pan and place it over a medium-high heat on the hob until the oil shimmers. Lay the fillets into the pan skin-side down and leave them to sizzle for 4-5 minutes until the skin is dark gold and pulls away from the pan easily. Flip the fish over using a wide spatula and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sides are solid white and the middle is just cooked through. Move the salmon to a warm plate and cover it with a layer of foil to keep the heat in.
3. Start the sauce: Turn the heat down to a medium setting and add the butter to the same pan so it melts into the leftover salmon juices. Tip in the chopped shallot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon so they soften without catching or turning brown. Pour the white wine into the pan and use the spoon to scrape every bit of caramelized salmon flavour from the bottom. Let the liquid bubble away for about 3 minutes until the volume of the wine has reduced by half.
4. Finish the sauce: Pour the double cream and lemon juice into the pan and stir them into the reduced wine and shallots. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of your spoon. Gently mix in the lemon zest and the chopped parsley until the green herbs are spread evenly through the cream. Taste a small amount of the sauce to see if you need to add more salt or a pinch more pepper to balance the acidity.
5. Serve the dish: Return the rested salmon fillets to the pan and use a spoon to pour the hot lemon sauce over the top of the fish. Let them sit in the pan for 30 seconds so the salmon absorbs some of the citrus flavour and warms back up. Move the fillets onto pre-warmed plates and pour the remaining sauce from the pan over the centre of each piece. Sprinkle a few extra leaves of fresh parsley over the top and serve it immediately while the sauce is velvety.

Recipe Tips

• Choose even fillets. Buy fillets that are the same thickness from top to bottom so they cook at the same rate. This prevents the thin tail end from drying out whilst the thick centre is still raw.
• Use a heavy pan. A heavy-bottomed frying pan holds onto the heat much better than a thin one when you add the cold fish. This helps the skin crisp up immediately instead of sticking to the surface.
• Leave the fish alone. Once the salmon is in the pan, don’t try to move it or peek underneath for at least four minutes. The skin will release itself from the pan naturally once it has formed a proper crust.
• Warm your plates. Cream-based sauces lose their heat very quickly once they are served. Put your plates in a low oven for five minutes before serving to keep the lemon sauce at the right temperature.
• Check the zest. Only grate the bright yellow outer layer of the lemon skin into the sauce. The white part underneath is the pith and it will make the whole dish taste bitter if it gets into the cream.
• Swap the wine. You can use a dry vermouth or a little extra vegetable stock if you don’t have any white wine in the house. Just make sure the stock isn’t too salty or it will overpower the delicate fish.

What To Serve With Salmon With Lemon Sauce

This fish works best with light sides that don’t compete with the creamy sauce. I usually serve it with crushed new potatoes and steamed green beans or tenderstem broccoli.

The potatoes are great for soaking up the extra lemon cream left on the plate. You could also try it with a bed of buttered samphire or a simple rocket salad with a balsamic glaze!

How To Store Salmon With Lemon Sauce

Fridge

Put any leftover salmon and sauce in an airtight container once they have cooled down completely. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to two days. Make sure the container is sealed tightly to keep the fish from smelling.

Reheat

The best way to warm this up is in a small frying pan over a very low heat on the hob. Add a splash of milk or water to loosen the sauce and cover the pan with a lid so the fish doesn’t dry out. You can use a microwave for one minute, but the fish might become rubbery.

Freeze

I don’t recommend freezing this dish because the double cream in the sauce will change texture and separate when it thaws. If you must freeze it, store the cooked salmon separately from the sauce and make a fresh batch of the lemon cream when you are ready to eat.

Mary Berry Salmon With Lemon Sauce Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 2):

• Calories: 665
• Protein: 35g
• Fat: 55g
• Carbohydrates: 5g
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 300mg

Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

FAQs

Can I use frozen salmon for this Mary Berry Salmon With Lemon Sauce?

Yes, but you must let the fillets thaw completely in the fridge overnight before you start cooking. Pat them extra dry with kitchen roll to remove any ice crystals that could stop the skin from getting crispy.

Can I use lemon juice from a bottle?

No, fresh lemon juice is essential because you need the zest from the skin to give the sauce its bright scent. Bottled juice often has a metallic taste that ruins the flavour of the double cream.

Baking the salmon instead of frying?

Baking the fillets in the oven at 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6) for 12-15 minutes is a great alternative if you want to avoid the hob. Just make the sauce in a separate pan whilst the fish is roasting.

Make sure the heat is low when adding cream?

If the pan is boiling too hard when you add the cream and lemon, the sauce might separate. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer and stir continuously to keep the texture smooth and velvety!

Use a very sharp knife for the shallots?

You want the shallots to be as fine as possible so they melt into the sauce. If the pieces are too big, they won’t soften in time and you will have crunchy bits in your creamy sauce.

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Salmon Terrine​ Recipe
• Mary Berry​ Salmon En Croute Recipe
• Mary Berry Chicken And Leek Pie​ Recipe