Lemon

Lemon Cream Roast Salmon with Whipped Parsnips

by:
May 11, 2010
4.6
7 Ratings
Lemon Cream Roast Salmon with Whipped Parsnips
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I learned this technique for making salmon from one of my aunts in Norway. She used pre-made lemon pepper, which works just fine, but I like it even better with fresh lemon zest and pepper. This dish is ridiculously simple, but the way the cream and salmon juices cook together during the roasting time winds up making an amazingly delicious sauce (though it's not the very most aesthetically pleasing sauce in the world). The sweet earthiness of the whipped parsnips is a lovely accompaniment to the sauce, though if it's all too much cream for you, the salmon is also good with roasted potatoes! - fiveandspice —fiveandspice

Test Kitchen Notes

The lemon cream roast salmon was delicious. The sauce was piquant and lively (although, as fiveandspice points out, it's not very pretty.) I couldn't find any parsnips, so we enjoyed the dish over mashed potatoes. I served it to guests who licked their plates clean. - MrsWheelbarrow —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Roast salmon with lemon cream sauce
  • 1 1/3 pounds wild caught salmon fillet
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Whipped Parsnips
  • 1-1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Roast salmon with lemon cream sauce
  2. Preheat oven to 425F. Rinse and pat dry the salmon fillet. Place fillet, skin side down, in a lightly greased baking pan just large enough to hold it.
  3. Mix together lemon zest, ground pepper, and salt, and press onto salmon fillet. Pour the cream over the salmon.
  4. Roast in the oven until the salmon is just cooked, about 25 minutes (check for done-ness with a fork, the salmon should flake but not appear dry).
  5. Serve over the whipped parsnips with the cream sauce from the pan scraped/poured over each serving. Season with extra salt, if desired. Accompany with a cucumber salad or another green vegetable.
  1. Whipped Parsnips
  2. Place parsnips in a pot, and fill with water just to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the parsnip is quite tender, about 30 minutes.
  3. Drain, then return the parsnips to the pot, add the butter and the sour cream. Use a handheld mixer to whip the parsnips, butter, and sour cream together, adding more butter or sour cream if they seem too dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with roast salmon.
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  • Nicole Seguin-andreijeff
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7 Reviews

VEBNYC
VEBNYC March 30, 2024
This is sooo delicious and sooo easy - I made for St Patrick’s Day and making again for Easter dinner!
 
Kathy M.
Kathy M. December 9, 2019
I made this last night...just as written and it was the best salmon we have had in a long time. Everyone loved the sauce. It is so easy and has so much flavor! I thought I should post a comment because I am very impressed. Thank you for sharing.
 
Nicole S.
Nicole S. October 13, 2014
Living in Sweden I make this all the time with homemade creme fraiche and lemon rind, lemon juice and a touch of dried sage when I want a fat girl meal. It's dinner time here in Göteborg so it off to peel me some palsternacka :-) tack så mycket. Jag alskar din blogg :-)
 
fiveandspice
fiveandspice June 17, 2010
Yay! I'm glad you liked it.
 
fiveandspice
fiveandspice May 14, 2010
Thanks! I'm totally still using up parsnips too, and whipping them with sour cream is one of my favorite things to do. I like how the earthy sweetness of of the parsnips and the tang of the sour cream go together. I hope you enjoy it, if you try it!
 
lapadia
lapadia June 17, 2010
Oh, I just voted for your lemon thyme recipe and remembered I didn't follow up on parsnips with sour cream, tried it, loved it! I have done the same with potatoes, don't know why I never tried this, thanks for sharing!
 
lapadia
lapadia May 12, 2010
Sounds wonderful! We still have parsnips left from last year's harvest, I've mash/whipped them but not tried with sour cream, going to try that.