Salmon Piccatta

salmonpiccata A lightened up, delicious Salmon Piccata with authentic Piccata flavours of white wine, capers, lemon and garlic. Anything Piccata sounds so refined and way too complicated to cook, but this Salmon Piccata recipe is easy, gourmet cooking in minutes. Originally from Italy, Piccata is traditionally made with Veal. This may not be 'the real deal' or 'the most authentic' Piccata recipe due to being cooked with salmon, however, the unmistakeable Piccata flavours in this Salmon version are all right there in the skillet. After all, the flavour is all that matters when sitting down to enjoy a plate full of food.

24 oz salmon fillets, skinless
sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup dry white wine or extra broth (but the wine adds amazing flavour)
1 cup chicken stock/broth
1 tsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
4 Tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained

To Serve:
2-4 Tbsp. fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
lemon slices

Season both sides of salmon fillets evenly with salt and pepper. Add ¼ cup of the flour to a shallow dish; dredge the salmon in the flour to evenly coat. Shake off excess.

Melt 1 Tbsp. of butter in a large nonstick pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. oil and swirl to mix through the butter.

Sear salmon for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. Transfer salmon to a warm plate; tent with foil and set aside.

Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in the pan. Sauté garlic for a further minute until fragrant. Add wine; bring to a boil scraping any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Cook until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally.

Add ¾ cup stock/broth to the pan along with the lemon juice; bring to a boil and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Whisk cornstarch (or corn flour) together with the reserved ¼ cup stock/broth. Pour the mixture into the pan, stirring through the liquid to create a sauce. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Stir capers through the sauce. Place the salmon fillets back into the pan, gently turning each fillet to evenly coat in the sauce.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and extra pepper. Serve immediately over rice, pasta or vegetables of choice.

Makes 4 servings.