Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chicken broth, fish stock, clam juice, white wine, or water
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
• Parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Make the sauce first. Combine the lemon juice, broth, and cream in a small pot and bring the mixture to a simmer. Right away, turn the heat down to low, put the lid on, and let it bubble softly for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. During the last minute or two, take off the lid and turn the heat to high so the sauce can thicken slightly.
2. While the sauce cooks, get the salmon ready. Rinse the fillets under cold water and, if the skin is still on, look for any lingering scales. Pull out pin bones with needle nose pliers, then blot the fish dry with paper towels.
3. Pour the oil into a sauté pan that can hold the fillets in a single layer. Set it over high heat and give the pan 90 seconds to get hot.
4. You can start the fillets either skin-side down or skin-side up. Skin-side down will help the skin crisp, which makes it delicious to eat. Starting skin-side up makes the fillets a little easier to flip neatly, since the uncooked skin helps hold them together. Totally your call.
5. Set the fillets in the hot pan, then reduce the heat to medium.
6. Cook the salmon at a steady sizzle for 3-5 minutes, adjusting for thickness. For a 1-inch-thick fillet, plan on about 5 minutes.
7. Use a metal spatula to carefully flip the fillets. Cook the second side for another 1-5 minutes, depending on your preferred doneness.
8. For salmon that stays a bit rare in the middle, cook the second side of a 1-inch fillet for about 3 minutes.
9. Transfer the salmon fillets to plates, spoon the lemon cream sauce over the top, and finish with chopped parsley. If the skin is crisp, plate the fillets skin-side up so it stays that way. If not, place them skin-side down.