Description
This Honey Garlic Butter Salmon recipe features tender, perfectly cooked salmon fillets bathed in a rich sauce made from homemade garlic confit, buttery goodness, sweet honey, and a hint of lemon. The garlic confit softens the garlic’s pungency, creating a mellow and flavorful base that complements the salmon beautifully. Quick to prepare, this dish is an elegant and comforting meal perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Garlic Confit
- 2 bulbs garlic
- 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Honey Garlic Butter Salmon
- 1 lb (500g) skinless salmon fillets
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 20 garlic confit cloves, OR 6 raw garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the garlic confit: Preheat your oven to 120°C (250°F). Break apart the garlic bulbs into individual cloves. Place the cloves in a heatproof bowl filled with boiling water for 5 minutes to loosen the skins, then drain and peel the garlic.
- Bake the garlic: Place peeled cloves in an ovenproof dish and fully submerge them in extra virgin olive oil to prevent burning. Bake for 2 hours until the garlic cloves have browned and softened, creating a mellow flavor.
- Season the salmon: While the garlic is baking, pat dry the salmon fillets and season both sides generously with fine sea salt and black pepper.
- Sear the salmon: Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the salmon fillets skinless side down and cook for 3 minutes until golden brown on one side for a medium-rare finish. Flip and cook for 1 more minute, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Make the honey garlic butter sauce: In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and add the butter and garlic confit cloves. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping any browned bits off the pan bottom. Once the butter is melted and foamy, stir in honey and lemon juice. Let the sauce cook for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Baste the salmon: Lower the heat to low and return the salmon fillets to the pan. Tilt the pan and use a spoon to baste the salmon with the garlic butter sauce continuously for 1 1/2 minutes. This allows the salmon to absorb the rich flavors and reach an internal temperature of about 50°C (122°F) for medium rare.
- Finish and rest: Sprinkle chopped parsley over the salmon and remove from heat. Let the salmon rest in the pan for 3 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute and flavors to meld.
Notes
- If you don’t have time for garlic confit, use finely sliced raw garlic cloves, but be aware this will provide a sharper garlic flavor.
- For a more cooked salmon, increase cooking time by 1-2 minutes per side, monitoring the internal temperature.
- To ensure the salmon fillets cook evenly, use fillets of uniform thickness.
- Save leftover garlic confit oil to use as a flavorful cooking oil for vegetables or bread dipping.
- This dish pairs beautifully with steamed rice, roasted vegetables, or a fresh green salad.
Keywords: salmon, honey garlic butter salmon, garlic confit, easy salmon recipe, stovetop salmon, healthy dinner, seafood, quick dinner