“We eat first with our eyes.” – Apicius, 1936
Salmon dinners are some of my favorite meals to plate, because I find them ideal for trying to reach restaurant quality presentation. That often means smearing a creamy scoop of potato mash around the plate (check) and topping it with whatever fish preparation I have concocted (double check).
This Salmon with Creamy Mushroom-Herb Sauce is a home-cooked creation I dreamed up after getting my hands on some beautiful shiitake mushrooms, which I often pick up when I visit my neighborhood farmer’s market. (Full disclosure: These mushrooms came from my latest Costco run, and they are just as divine.)
I wanted to make a creamy, dreamy mushroom sauce for salmon, and I also wanted to ensure it was Whole30-friendly and in line with my goal of trying to shave off a few pounds from my current midsection collection.
This recipe can be made flexible – serving 2 to 4, based on the number of salmon portions you roast – and any tasty mushroom can work well.
Ingredients
- 2 5-ounce sockeye salmon fillets
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons ghee
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place salmon fillets on parchment paper and brush tops with olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Bake salmon in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until fish is cooked to 145 degrees in center of thickest part.
While salmon is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a medium skillet over high heat. Once heated, add minced shallot and garlic cloves. Stir, cooking for about 1 minute.
Add sliced shiitake mushrooms, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook mushrooms for about 7 to 10 minutes.
(Don’t forget to check on your salmon!)
Carefully pour ¼ cup water into the skillet and stir mushrooms until liquid is absorbed.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1 cup coconut milk and 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped. Continue stirring, as sauce thickens.
Plate salmon with sides of your choice and spoon sauce onto fish.
Notes
This recipe makes enough sauce to spoon onto 4 fillets. Just double the number of salmon fillets you roast and split the sauce accordingly. You can also sub the fresh parsley for dried parsley. The general rule of thumb is to replace 1 tablespoon fresh herbs with 1 teaspoon dried. In this case, if you use dried parsley, use 2 teaspoons and add it into the mushrooms with the dried oregano, salt and pepper.
