Creamy Tarragon Salmon

Spooning tarragon sauce over salmon fillets.

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This salmon in tarragon sauce is an easy, elegant dinner that comes together in one skillet. The fillets are quickly pan-seared to develop a golden crust, then finished in a creamy tarragon Dijon sauce. Before you start cooking, take a minute to check the salmon for pin bones. Just run your fingers over the fillets and use tweezers to remove any you find. It’s a small step that makes a big difference at the table.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy tarragon salmon, tarragon salmon

Servings: servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Salmon Fillets

4 salmon fillets 6 ounces each
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Lemon Tarragon Cream Sauce

3 tablespoons butter divided
1 to 2 garlic cloves finely minced or grated
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon divided
1 to 2 sprigs fresh tarragon for garnish

Instructions

Pat the salmon fillets with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, season with the salt and pepper.
Add the oil to a large non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn the fillets and sear for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown and just shy of your preferred doneness. The salmon will continue to cook while resting as well as when it is returned to the hot sauce.
Transfer the salmon to a plate and cover lightly with foil while making the sauce.
Reduce the heat under the skillet and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, do not brown.
Pour in the wine and cook for 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol. Whisk in the chicken broth and mustard. Increase the heat to medium high, bring to a boil and reduce the mixture by half. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium low so the mixture is no longer boiling, stir in the cream, honey, salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 4-6 minutes until slightly reduced and a little bit thicker.
Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of butter, lemon juice and the chopped tarragon.
Return the salmon fillets to the hot sauce, spooning sauce over each fillet. Cover the skillet and allow the salmon to reheat in the sauce for 2 minutes.
To serve: Spoon a puddle of sauce on each of four plates and add a salmon fillet, garnish with fresh tarragon.

Notes

Do not over cook the salmon fillets, we recommend cooking them slightly underdone as the will continue to cook while resting.
An equal amount of chicken broth may be substituted for wine if preferred.
To remove the salmon skin from the salmon: When transferring the salmon fillets from the plate to the sauce, slide the spatula between the salmon skin and the flesh, lifting the salmon off the skin.
Store leftover salmon and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits, so when reheating, stir in a splash of chicken broth to loosen it up.

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