American · main

Crispy Skin Salmon with Lemon Butter

Crispy Skin Salmon with Lemon Butter reads richness 7.0, umami 6.7 and citrus 6.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 16 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.8 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 7.0 · Umami 6.7 · Citrus 6.5 · Sourness 5.8 · Salinity 4.5 · Fruity 4.5 · Marine & Briny 3.6 · Allium 3.2 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Funk & Ferment 1.8 · Floral 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Sweetness 1.2 · Earthy 0.9 · Bitterness 0.9 · Smoke 0.8

What's in it (12)

• salmon fillets — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
• oil — 27 g
• unsalted butter — 41 g
• garlic — 6 g
• dry white wine — 59 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 118 g
• lemon juice — 44 g
• capers — 15 g
• parsley — 7 g
• lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 16 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 107.7 kcal, 12 g protein, 8.5 g fat, 1.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Pat the salmon fillets very dry with paper towels, especially the skin, and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and the pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
3. Lay the salmon skin-side down in the hot oil, pressing gently with a spatula for the first 10 seconds to keep it flat, and cook undisturbed until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and releases easily from the pan, 5-6 minutes.
4. Flip and cook the flesh side until an instant-read thermometer reads 125-130 F for medium (145 F if you prefer well-done), 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a plate, skin-side up.
5. Reduce the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet, and cook the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6. Pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer until reduced by about half, 1-2 minutes.
7. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice and simmer until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the remaining butter a piece at a time until the sauce is glossy, then stir in the capers and parsley.
9. Return the salmon to the pan, skin-side up, to warm through in the sauce for about 30 seconds, then plate and spoon the sauce over, finishing with lemon wedges.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pan-Seared Scallops with Garlic Butter — American
• Baked Salmon with Brown Butter Breadcrumbs — American
• Pan-Seared Halibut with Brown Butter — American
• Shrimp Scampi Flatbread — Italian-American
• Shrimp Scampi Linguine — Italian-American

Keep reading: what richness, umami, citrus mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.