Marry me salmon is an easy dinner recipe for Valentine's Day or any special occasion. The fish is tender, flaky, and coated in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.
If you've ever tried marry me chicken, you know just how perfectly scrumptious the sauce is. Dishes like this are really all about the sauce, and this one is bright, tangy, creamy, and downright divine. It's wonderful on chicken, but you know what? It's just as magical when you spoon it over tender, flaky, perfectly cooked salmon. Enter: marry me salmon! If you like salmon recipes, you'll absolutely fall in love with this one.
Marry me salmon is one of those romantic Valentine's Day dinners you can make in just over 30 minutes and impress anyone. Plus, it all comes together right in one skillet, which means fewer dishes and more time for dessert (here are some of my favorite Valentine's Day desserts if you need ideas). If your Valentine is more of a meat-and-potatoes kind of person, like Ladd, save this recipe for next time you have company or need something easy but elegant for a special occasion. So delicious!
Place the salmon skin-side down on a cutting board. Use a paper towel to grip the skin with one hand. Then, using your other hand, slide a sharp knife just above the skin. Keep the blade angled slightly downward and gently saw back and forth, separating the skin from the flesh.
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1
Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season all over with the pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.
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2
In a large skillet, heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the salmon fillets with the skinned side-up and cook until the bottoms are deeply golden and the flesh has turned opaque about halfway to two-thirds of the way up the sides, about 5 minutes. The edges will look just barely flaky. Transfer the fillets to a plate, cooked side-up, and set aside.
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3
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened in color, about 1 minute.
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4
Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
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5
Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, until fully incorporated and the raw flour smell disappears, 1 to 2 minutes.
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6
Gradually stir in the chicken broth until the sauce is smooth. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce is slightly reduced, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the heavy cream and parmesan and cook, stirring, until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
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7
Add the salmon, cooked-side up, to the skillet. Continue cooking until the salmon is firm to the touch and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
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8
Sprinkle with parsley and more parmesan and serve with rice.
