Salmon and Asparagus with Garlic-Butter Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 piecessalmon fillets (6 ounces each, skin-on)
- 1 poundasparagus
- 3 tablespoonbutter
- 4 clovesgarlic
- 1lemon
- ½ teaspoonsalt
- ¼ teaspoonblack pepper
- ¼ teaspoonred pepper flakes
Prep
- 01
Mince 4 cloves garlic.
- 02
Cut lemon in half for easy juice extraction.
- 03
Trim asparagus by snapping off the woody bottom third.
Method
- 01
Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- 02
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming, arrange salmon skin-side up, and cook 4 minutes without moving. Flip and cook 3 minutes more until skin is crispy and flesh is opaque. Transfer to a plate.
- 03
In the same skillet, add asparagus in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook 2 minutes, tossing once. Push asparagus to the sides.
- 04
Return salmon to the skillet, skin-side up. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and garlic, squeezing the lemon juice over everything. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes until garlic is fragrant and asparagus is tender-crisp.
- 05
Divide salmon and asparagus among plates, spooning the pan sauce (garlic and butter) over top.
Spice Tips
The red pepper flakes add gentle heat; increase to 1/2 teaspoon for more bite. A pinch of fresh dill or tarragon stirred into the pan sauce at the end brightens the whole dish.
Salmon cooks best on high heat so the skin crisps; don't crowd the pan or the fish will steam. If your fillets are thicker than 1 inch, lower heat slightly after flipping to avoid overcooking the outside before the inside is done.