Italian-American · main

Salmon Piccata with Capers

Salmon Piccata with Capers reads richness 7.0, umami 6.5 and citrus 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 17 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.3 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 7.0 · Umami 6.5 · Citrus 5.0 · Salinity 4.6 · Sourness 4.3 · Marine & Briny 4.1 · Allium 3.4 · Fruity 2.3 · Herbaceous 1.8 · Funk & Ferment 1.8 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Floral 1.3 · Sweetness 1.2 · Nutty 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0 · Earthy 1.0 · Smoke 0.9 · Heat 0.8

What's in it (12)

• salmon fillets — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• all-purpose flour — 40 g
• olive oil — 41 g
• unsalted butter — 68 g
• garlic — 9 g
• dry white wine — 118 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 118 g
• lemon juice — 44 g
• capers — 44 g
• flat-leaf parsley — 7 g

Time & effort: about 17 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 93.4 kcal, 11.3 g protein, 7.4 g fat, 3.9 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 dry and season both sides with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and all of the pepper. Dredge each fillet lightly in the flour, shaking off the excess.
2. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay the salmon in presentation-side down and sear undisturbed until deeply golden and releasing easily from the pan, 3-4 minutes.
3. Flip the fillets and cook on the second side until the salmon is opaque at the edges and reaches 125-130°F in the center for a moist, medium finish, 3-4 minutes more (cook to 145°F if you prefer it cooked through). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
4. Lower the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the garlic to the same skillet, and saute, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds.
5. Pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and simmer until reduced by half, 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the broth, lemon juice, and capers; simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter a piece at a time until the sauce turns glossy and lightly clings to the whisk.
8. Season the sauce with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to taste, then return the salmon and any collected juices to the pan, spooning sauce over the fillets and warming through, about 1 minute.
9. Stir in the parsley and serve the salmon immediately, spooning extra sauce over each fillet.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Lemon Butter Salmon Pasta — Italian-American
• Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi — Italian-American
• Garlic Butter Shrimp Fra Diavolo — Italian-American
• Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta — Italian-American
• Salmon Burgers with Dill Yogurt Sauce — 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.