Love and Olive Oil

Salmon With Brown Butter, Almonds, and Asparagus

Salmon With Brown Butter, Almonds, and Asparagus

Would you all hate me if I all I had to say about this dinner was…

Yum.

Ok, maybe I have some more to say, because this meal was so incredibly simple I think Taylor and I were in a state of shock when we sat down to eat less than 15 minutes after we started. What? Seriously? That’s unheard of! Usually we allot/assume/plan for around 45 minutes for dinner, sometimes it is closer to an hour. After prep, chopping, cooking, and cleaning, a solid hour is usually a safe bet. But 15 minutes? We were eating before 6 oclock. I mean, the news was still on, for gosh sakes!

To stumble upon a 15 minute meal, that ACTUALLY takes 15 minutes (and not one of those meals that is only 15 minutes when you’ve got a staff there to chop and prep all your ingredients, you know those meals). I can tell you we’ve made this twice since we first made it two weeks ago. That should tell you something.

The recipe called for green beans originally, but it must be anti-green bean season or something, because the last two times we’ve tried to buy them at the store they had none. Not even a sickly little limp one. So we sprang for something that WAS in season and available, asparagus. Just as tasty.

Before I go, I will leave you with this. Because you asked so nicely, and because the number of kitten photos on my computer are slowly gaining on the number of cupcake shots. It’s a cupcake vs. kitten battle!

Salmon With Brown Butter, Almonds, and Asparagus

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Real Simple.

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Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound green beans or asparagus, trimmed
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons capers

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side; transfer to plates.

Meanwhile, fill a second skillet with ½ inch of water, bring to a boil, and add ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the green beans, cover, and steam until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes; drain and transfer to plates.

Wipe out the green bean skillet and heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the almonds and butter are golden brown (but not burned), 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the capers. Spoon over the fish and green beans.

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16 Comments

  1. Just made this recipe tonight! Being a busy grad student, I am always looking for quick but delicious recipes. This definitely fulfilled both! This dish will be going into my “usuals” circuit for sure!

  2. Loved the recipe and the kitty!, Elisabeth, I agree- ready for some schmoozing!
    Thanks, will try it soon.

  3. MY BOYFRIEND LIKED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT-THE LENGTH OF TIME, THE LOOK OF IT, THE HEALTH OF IT-BUT NOT THE BUTTER. HE HAS TO WATCH HIS CHOLESTEROL. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

  4. I made this the other day, it turned out lovely as well! Delicious and SO simple!

  5. Ohhhhh, look at that belly all exposed and ready for kisses. Such a cutie!!

  6. I saw this in Real Simple and thought it sounded good. I think their recipes can be so hit or miss, so it’s great to know this one was a hit! Sounds very spring-like… especially with asparagus.

  7. I just love quick meals that look that beautiful and taste great. Thanks for the recipe. I just recently stumbled upon your blog and I’m in love. You’re an inspiration!

  8. what a healthy and delicious dish, well done, cheers from londn

  9. Julo – this was actually made with frozen fish from Whole Foods! If you get good quality wild caught, frozen fish is as good if not better than fresh fish. :)

  10. You know, that’s the great thing about fish. If the fish is fresh and good, it’ll stand on its own. You can do a little or a lot and it’ll still taste amazing. Man, I wish I had better fish where I live. :(

  11. I don’t think I’ve ever found any supposed “15-minute-meal” to really take 15 minutes so I’m definitely impressed by this one. It looks delicious and a bit different to how I normally cook salmon. I can’t wait to get my hands on some yummy salmon fillets and try it out!

  12. That looks delicious, indeed. I’m going to try this one next time I get my hands on some salmon.

    Leigh- just wanted to chime in and say that any bigger-chunk white fish will sub in just fine here (think halibut or maybe tilapia, but not something too delicate like cod or flounder). You want something that has some flavor, but not too much. Also, just want to throw it out there and say that depending on the time of year and where you live, it is possible to get white salmon. Look around or ask your fish monger. Good luck!

  13. the kitten is officially adorable!

  14. Ohhh yummy yum yum! That looks awesome! Do you think it would work with any other type of fish? We are trying to work more fish into our diets and my husband is a strange, strange man who does not like salmon. He likes other fish, but he says the color of salmon throws him off. See? Told you he was strange. So, being a fish-cooking novice I have no idea if types of fish are interchangeable and what would work as a substitute here? If it has to be salmon, I’ll just make this for myself next time he’s out of town!

    • Of course you can use other fish! Salmon is an oily fish, so if you use another type of fish, you might want to dredge it in seasoned flour before pan-frying, just to keep more moisture in the flesh. (Add salt and pepper to the flour, with anything else you like – thyme, rosemary, or just keep it simple.) This would be a tasty combination for any fish! I like farmed trout, myself.

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