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Mary Berry Salmon with Lemon Sauce Recipe

Mary Berry Salmon with Lemon Sauce Recipe

Mary Berry's salmon with lemon sauce has perfectly cooked salmon with a silky, glossy lemon butter sauce — an elegant dinner that takes 20 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 Portions
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 580
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Salmon:
  • 4 salmon fillets about 175g each, skin on
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp unsalted butter
  • Lemon Butter Sauce:
  • 1 shallot very finely chopped
  • 150 ml dry white wine
  • Juice of 2 large lemons about 6 tbsp
  • 2 tbsp double cream
  • 150 g cold unsalted butter in 1cm cubes
  • Salt and white pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives finely snipped

Method
 

  1. Combine shallot, wine, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Boil and reduce until about 3 tbsp remain — slightly syrupy. Add cream — simmer 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Set aside.
  2. Season salmon. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add salmon skin-side down — press gently for 30 seconds. Cook 4–5 minutes until skin is deeply golden. Add butter — turn. Cook flesh side 1–2 minutes until just cooked through. Rest 2 minutes.
  3. Return saucepan to the lowest possible heat. Add cold butter 2–3 cubes at a time — whisk constantly after each addition until smooth and glossy. Keep heat very low throughout. Add dill and chives. Season. Taste.
  4. Place salmon skin-side up on warm plates. Spoon lemon butter sauce generously alongside. Serve immediately.

Notes

Cook salmon skin-side down for almost all the cooking time — 4–5 minutes gives golden, crispy skin.
Butter for the sauce must be genuinely cold — cold butter emulsifies, warm butter melts and splits.
Keep the heat very low when adding butter — too hot and the sauce separates immediately.
Double cream stabilises the emulsion — do not skip it.
Serve salmon skin-side up — keeps the crispy skin away from the sauce on the plate.
The sauce cannot be stored — make it fresh immediately before serving.
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