Salmon with Basil Sauce
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Drizzle salmon with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside 10 minutes to absorb flavor.
Meanwhile, combine basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, and remaining ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, and set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté salmon 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until desired degree of doneness. Place on serving plates. In the warm skillet, heat reserved basil sauce, and pour over salmon.
Perfect Pairing: California lifestyle expert Susie Coelho recommends Meridian Pinot Noir for the Salmon with Basil Sauce. A hint of lemon means the recipe would work equally well with Meridian's Chardonnay. Another option is Meridian Sauvignon Blanc. Its bright, sunny quality matches the acidity of the tomatoes.
Member Ratings and Reviews
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My husband was trying so hard to say something nice about this dish, but when I looked at him and said "Yuck!" he had to admit that yes, that was his opinion too.
The sauce was simply greasy. Not basily-y. Not garlic-y. Not lemon-y. Just greasy. Also, oil is not a natural pairing with an oily fish like salmon. The recipe doesn't mention tomatoes, but they're in the picture and mentioned in the wine pairing and I did throw some tomatoes on the plate. That burst of acidity was the only bright spot in this otherwise awful sauce.
Not only will I never make this again, I'll never pair an oil-based sauce with salmon. I'm going to stick to my standard homemade mango salsa from now on!08/18/09
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This is definitely a keeper. Excellent flavor & quite easy to prepare. However, I was confused by the reference to tomatoes in Miss Coehlo's wine comments, not mentioned in recipe ingredients. I used quartered cherry tomatoes heated w/sauce poured over salmon. Asparagus & couscous as sides. Yummm!!02/12/09





