Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Thyme, Lemon, Garlic and Wine Sauce

Dear Readers, it has been a very very very eventful year for me so far both in terms of personal and professional fronts. Things have been keeping me on toes for a while now. And amidst all this I was also moving from the previous rented apartment to my very own house. Getting a house is a very big milestone. And past one week has been super hectic due to all the moving and setting up of the new space. The plumbers, carpenters, electricians, cleaners etc are dropping in so frequently and randomly that my house feels like it is a busy highway instead of a home.  But now I have become used to them. Like a family we all coexist in the same space happily ever after. They mind their own business while I mind mine.

It was actually a good week to move in with Holi (festival of colors) falling in the week. It gave us a nice opportunity to mingle with the few families who have moved in the premises as well. So far around 20 families are there. So the Holi celebrations started with Holika Dahan on Wednesday evening, a day before Holi. According to Hindu mythology, Holika sister of demon king Hiranyakashipu, was sent by the king to kill his own son Prahlad, as he had opposed his fathers evil desires. Holika had a magical shawl which could protect her from any fire. So the king instructed his sister to sit in the fire with his son so as to kill him. But as she did that, the wind blew away the shawl from her and covered Prahlad. Thus Holika was burnt alive and Prahlad was saved. This ritual basically marks the victory of good over evil.

So on Wednesday night all of us gathered in the parking area where the Holika was lit. All the ladies participated in the puja and the guys helped. After this there was an introduction session. So all of us introduced ourselves. It was a fun session, where senior citizens took the cake with their funny quips and statements. We retired to our homes with a promised to return next day for playing Holi.

The Holi day was a great respite for me, as for one whole day I didn't have to see the face of any workers in my house. Life almost felt as if it was back to normal. My apartment is on the tenth floor hence it almost serves as a vantage point to check out whatever happens below. I am not very fond of the idea of getting all colourful and wet. The last time I played proper Holi was probably in standard 9. So this time when the plan was to meet for Holi, I was not very inclined towards it.  Till 11.30 AM I saw only a couple of ladies and mostly kids playing below. So I was very happy that I can safely skip it. But woe behold the society people came to invite door to door when the turn out was low. Eventually we went down. But honestly, the next half hour was pretty much fun

I felt that the house truly becomes yours when you do something in the house that you absolutely love. And nothing can be a bigger love for me than cooking. The first experimental dish in the new kitchen and now the house seems to be more mine than ever. The possibilities are infinite and the journey is endless. Hope and wish to continue in the same spirit in the coming days.

One of my friends knows about my passion for cooking. And he himself being a master at this art gave me the most unique gift for homecoming. A large portion of Salmon and a ton of fresh Italian and Thai herbs. I don't know how he thought of it, but this was the most amazing gift I could have wished for. I knew for the next few days I had to make something to do justice to these ingredients and I was totally tempted to try out something I have never done before. Thus began a series of 3 experiments all of which turned out amazing.  I am posting one of them here today.

The ingredient list might look long but the dish takes under 15 minutes to cook. And you can always add or take away a few of the ingredients here and there as long as the basic flavour quotient remains same.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Marination Time: 40 minutes  
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Salmon - 200 gm
• Thyme - 1 sprig
• Garlic - 12-15 cloves
• Bird's Eye Chilli / Fresh Red Chilli - 2 chopped
• Lemon - 1/4
• Pepper - 1 & 1/2 tsp , freshly ground
• White Wine - 1/2 cup
• Butter - 50 gm or more
• Full cream Milk / Fresh cream - 1/4 cup
• Garlic Chives (optional) - 2 sprig 
• Refined Oil
• Salt & Sugar as per taste

Procedure: 

1.  Wash and dry the Salmon Fillets. I made four pieces from the 200 gm of fish.

2.  For marination, take a bowl and place the salmon fillets. Add 2 tsp of white wine, 1/2 tsp of ground pepper, 1 chopped red chilli, coarsely pounded garlic, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp chopped garlic chives(optional) and a pinch of salt. Fold all the ingredients in to coat the fish properly. Put it in the refrigerator to marinate.

3. Take a skillet, put it on medium heat and lightly drizzle it with refined oil. When the oil starts sizzling add the butter. Once the butter begins to melt, shake off the marinade from the fillets and lay the salmon skin side down. With a spatula press the fish to the pan for 15-20 seconds, to sear the bottom and avoid edge curling. 

4. Add the thyme sprig on one side of the skillet and douse it in the melted butter.

5. Now reduce the heat and allow the fillets to cook on the sides for 4-5 mins (depending on the thickness of the fillet this might vary) and allowing the edges to caramelise into a golden hue.  

6. Flip the fillet and tilt the pan if required and spoon the butter into the fillets. Continue cooking and basting the fillets with butter for a couple of minutes.

7. When the fish is nearly cooked, add the marinade into the butter and cook it for a couple of minutes. 

8. Add wine at this stage to de-glaze the skillet. 

9. Add the milk. Here you can also add fresh cream if you want to make the sauce more creamy. Or you can also lightly fry half a spoon of white flour and then add milk. It will also make a thick sauce. I wanted to keep the consistency a little runny so just used milk. 

10. Add rest of the ground pepper, salt and sugar to taste. Add the garlic chives as it cooks. Add some lemon zest. Cook for a couple of more minutes and switch off the flame. 

Place the salmon fillets on a warm plate and pour the creamy sauce over. Serve immediately. Happy eating!