Enjoy the French German flavors of Alsace even if you can’t make it to Europe! This Alsatian salmon recipe was inspired by dinner at a lovely restaurant in Strasbourg, France.
Darlings, I am a firm believer in experiences over things. In my life, I’ve realized that what I cherish most, what stands out to me, are the experiences I’ve been blessed with, both good and bad, because they’re all part of this lovely tapestry of life. This recipe, dubbed Alsatian Salmon because I don’t know of any other name, is borne of one of those beautiful experiences, shared with The Godfather and Princess A, on our trip to Germany and France to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.
You’ve definitely heard me reference this trip before, quite a few recipes were inspired by our little jaunt, but this one was special enough that we recreated it (three nights in a row to make sure it was right) for dinner at home close to our actual anniversary. We spent most of our trip in Germany, only popping into France momentarily to spend a few days in Strasbourg.
I fell in love with Strasbourg! It’s beautiful, and the mix of French and German culture makes it a very unique place, especially in terms of cuisine because you find dishes that are a bit of both, and some – like this salmon – are a blend. And yes, our cream sauce topped salmon was served with saurkraut too. Feel free to buy the saurkraut (we did), but then saute it in a bit of duck fat and add some caraway seeds for the closest flavor to what we enjoyed.
The sauce comes together best in a second skillet since there’s more surface area for liquid to evaporate. I started the sauce at about the same time as the salmon so both were done together. If you prefer to cook them one at a time, I’d make the sauce first and then the salmon immediately after. This dish is best served immediately, and pairs beautifully with a dry white wine. To really perfect the pairing, use a bit of the wine you plan to drink for cooking.
Alsatian Salmon
Ingredients
Salmon
- 1 lb fresh salmon fillets
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 3 tbsp butter
Sauce
- 1 g whole shallot peeled and diced, 60 , about 1/2 cup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 4 tsp capers
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt to taste
- dill for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In another skillet, and ideally while the salmon is cooking, melt the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook another minute.
- Add the capers, lemon juice, and wine. Stir until there are no lumps and allow to cook an additional 2 minutes until reduced and rather thick. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the heavy cream, then return to the heat and simmer an additional 1-2 minutes to reduce further if needed. Set aside and keep warm until the salmon has cooked. Salt to taste before serving.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Place the salmon skin side down and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the salmon, then pour in the wine and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until salmon is cooked and most of the wine has evaporated. Remove from heat.
- Plate the salmon and top with sauce, garnish with fresh dill if desired, and serve immediately.
Brian Jones
Wednesday 1st of February 2017
Oh boy does this sound so good, I always get jealous of great fish dishes as it is so difficult to find and when you do it is brutally expensive out here in landlocked Hungary.