Baked Salmon Sauces

Baked salmon is delicious with a homemade sauce on the side.

Salmon is a delicious, heart-healthy fish that delivers important omega-3 fatty acids. This versatile fish can be grilled, smoked, eaten raw, formed into salmon patties, or baked in the oven. Although salmon has a distinct flavor, it lends itself well to a variety of sauces that can enhance or complement its taste. Homemade sauces for baked salmon are simple to make and can be poured over the fish before it's baked or served on the side.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup fresh chopped dill
• 3 tbsp. chopped onion
• 2 tbsp. spicy mustard
• Wire whisk
• Saucepan
• 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 tbsp. diced shallot
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• Wooden spoon
• 6 tbsp. butter, cubed
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• Coarse salt

Instructions

Mustard-Dill Sauce

1. 

   Fresh dill goes well with salmon.

   Place 1 cup sour cream into a mixing bowl. Add 1/3 cup freshly chopped dill.

2. Sprinkle 3 tbsp. chopped onion over the sour cream and dill. Follow this with 2 tbsp. spicy mustard.

3. Whisk the four ingredients together until smooth and blended well. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, and stir well. Allow the mustard-dill sauce to sit on the counter top for one hour.

4. Spoon 1/3 of the sauce over the salmon before baking. Serve the remainder of the sauce on the side for dipping.

Lemon-Rosemary Butter Sauce

1. Heat the saucepan over medium heat. Drizzle 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil into the pan. Wipe the oil around with a paper towel so the pan is coated. Discard the paper towel.

2. Adjust the heat to high. Pour 3/4 cup dry white wine into the pan then add 3 tbsp. diced shallots, and 1 tsp. fresh rosemary. Stir the three ingredients, cooking for three to four minutes, until the dry white wine is almost evaporated, leaving very little liquid in the pan.

3. 

   Butter lends flavor and texture to this sauce.

   Turn the stove off and remove the saucepan from the heat. Drop in 6 tbsp. butter, cut into small chunks. Stir the butter continuously until completely melted, and the sauce looks creamy and thick. If the butter doesn't melt completely, place the pan over low heat to aid in the melting process.

4. Add 1 tsp. lemon juice to the creamy sauce as well as a dash of salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle the sauce over freshly baked salmon.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute low-fat or non-fat versions of products, such as sour cream, to reduce calories. Plain yogurt can also be substituted for sour cream.

• Sauces can be served over or alongside grilled salmon, too.

References

• Epicurious; Baked Salmon With Mustard-Dill Sauce; Deb Sokol; July 1998
• Fine Cooking; Sear-Roasted Salmon Fillets With Lemon-Rosemary Butter Sauce; Tony Rosenfeld; May 2005
• American Heart Association: Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids