If you are looking for a quick and easy fish dish with a summery flavour, seared salmon with watercress sauce is just what you are after.
The fresh zingy watercress sauce works perfectly with the salmon and is so simple to make.
- Quick and easy
- Light and refreshing
- Hot or cold
- Easy entertaining
- Family favourite
This seared salmon and watercress sauce recipe is my idea of a perfect summery meal. It's quick and easy to make. You whizz up the sauce as the salmon cooks, so it can be on the table in around 20 minutes.
It's also very versatile. I have served this as a family meal (when Will isn't around as he doesn't like fish!), as well as for friends at a dinner party as a main with potatoes and fresh vegetables or salad.
I have also served it as a starter with just a few wilted greens. It works well served cold with salad, or as a really tasty sandwich filling.
So really it's up to you how and when you serve it. If you like salmon you are going to love this dish.
For the photograph, I have cooked the salmon on a griddle pan but you can sear it each side in a regular frying pan too, just add a little oil first.
You can then continue to cook it in the pan until the fish is cooked through, or pop it into the oven to finish cooking as I have done in the recipe. Cooking in the oven has the advantage of less fishy smells in the room as it cooks.
If you do pop it the oven though, make sure your pan has an ovenproof handle or transfer to a baking tray first.
As a word of advice, if you do pop the pan in the oven, leave the oven gloves or a cloth over the handle after you have taken the pan out. It is so easy to carefully remove it from the oven then a few minutes later grab the handle without thinking. Trust me, I've done it and it hurts!
If you like this then you might like to try one of my other salmon recipes
- Foil baked salmon and asparagus
- Salmon and prawn risotto
- Pan seared salmon with spinach and beans
- Pan-fried salmon with sweet potato chilli mash
Seared salmon with watercress sauce
Equipment
- griddle pan with heat proof handle
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets
- a little rapeseed oil optional
- 50 g watercress (2oz)
- 4 spring onions trimmed and roughly chopped
- 150 g crème fraîche (5oz)
- Generous pinch grated nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ (180℃ fan)/400°F/gas mark 6.
- Season 4 salmon fillets.
- Heat a griddle pan over a medium high heat. Add the salmon flesh side down and sear for 1 to 2 minutes, turn over and sear the other side. You can also do this on a frying pan (skillet) if desired
- Place the fish in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. You can leave the fish in the pan if it is ovenproof, if not transfer to a baking tray.
- Meanwhile, place 50g watercress, 4 chopped spring onions, and 150g crème fraîche s in a food processor or liquidizer. Season with a little grated nutmeg, salt and pepper, then process for a few minutes until well blended.
- Check the seasoning of the sauce and adjust if necessary.
- Serve the salmon with the sauce and vegetables of your choice
Sue says
A fabulous, quick, easy and nourishing meal. .
I tend to put my salmon into the oven under cling film- it’s cooked through in a couple of minutes
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I prefer not to use cling film on hot foods as I am concerned about the risk of chemicals leaching into the food. I am also trying to reduce the use for environmental reasons, but it does come in handy sometimes. I'm also loving cooking fish in the air fryer now. So quick and lovely and moist too.
Louise Fairweather says
I love salmon and watercress, must see if my boys like it as they love salmon now #cookblogshare
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Fingers crossed they like it as it is a great simple recipe to have in your repertoire.
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
Oooh Jacqui I love salmon and this watercress sauce sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thanks Kirsty,
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
This is so my kind of food. I love simply cooked fish with veggies. We call this meal 'fish and veg' in our house (I know - we're so imaginative!) and we have it often. But usually with a simple butter/lemon/parsley/white wine sort of sauce. I'm loving the sound of that watercress sauce, though - might have to try that! Eb x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thanks EB, you and I have very similar tastes in foods i think. This sauce is just about as easy a sauce as you can get (assuming you have a blender or food processor) and tastes great ,so I am sure you would love it.
Donna says
I love salmon, and fish in general. This looks really nice and super simple! #CookBlogShare
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you Donna it is 🙂
Mandy says
This looks like the perfect supper for a hot summer's day - so fresh and delicious.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thanks Mandy, I think so.