Broiled Salmon with White Truffle Beurre Blanc Sauce

Salmon with white truffle Beurre Blanc sauce and garnished with a slice of truffle and Frisée greens

5 from 3 votes

Broiled Salmon with White Truffle Beurre Blanc Sauce

A classic French beurre blanc sauce is enhanced with gratings of white truffle and spooned over a thick broiled salmon fillet. This is a decadent date-nite dinner for two.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broiled salmon, broiled salmon with white truffle sauce, salmon

Servings: Servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the White Truffle Beurre Blanc Sauce:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium shallot finely mince
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
8 tablespoons 1 cube butter, cut into small cubes
1 small truffle fresh or preserved
Pinch of white pepper

For the Salmon:

2 6-ounce salmon fillets, about 1-inch at the thickest part
1 tablespoon butter melted
½ fresh lemon
Salt and pepper

Instructions

For the White Truffle Beurre Blanc Sauce:

Brush the olive oil on the bottom of a small skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and sauté until soft, do not let them brown.
Pour the wine into the pan and let it reduce to where it is just a film on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the cream and reduce until thick.
Slide the pan from the heat and begin adding 1-2 cubes of butter while whisking the sauce. Slide the skillet on and off the heat at 10-second intervals to control the heat while whisking the butter. If the sauce becomes too hot the butter will separate and loose the emulsion.
Continue adding butter, whisking and sliding the pan on/off the heat until all the butter has been incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Remove the pan from the heat add the white pepper and grate the truffle into the sauce, whisk to blend.
Cover the sauce to keep warm while the salmon fillets broil.

For the Salmon

Preheat the broiler with the oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat. *See Notes
Let the griddle get hot before you cook the salmon.
Place the fillets, skin side down, on the hot cast iron griddle. Brush each fillet with melted butter and squeeze lemon juice over the tops then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Broil 6 to 10 minutes or to the desired degree of doneness.

Notes

Adding the cream to the beurre blanc sauce is optional but it will keep the sauce from separating.
Keep the heat on low. Slide the skillet on and off the heat at 10 second intervals to control the heat while whisking the butter. If the sauce becomes too hot the butter will separate and loose the emulsion.
I have had great results with leaving 1/4 of the skillet sitting on the edge of the heat while whisking the butter. There is just enough heat to melt the butter at a steady rate.
If your sauce begins to separate, stop adding butter and add a teaspoon or two of wine or other liquid while whisking vigorously. Once it comes together again, finish whisking in the butter a cube or two at a time.
Place the top rack of your oven high enough so when you place a cast iron griddle or skillet with the salmon filets on it there will be 2-inch distance from the heat for every 1/2 inch thickness of salmon. For 1-inch thick fillets they should be 4-inches from the heat. This prevents thicker cuts from overcooking on the outside before the center is completely cooked.
To determine how long to cook your salmon, rare is 110°F. Medium rare is 120-125°F. Medium is 130°F and well done is 140°F

Nutrition