Poached Salmon with Caper and Lemon Sauce is one of those dishes that strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and sophistication. It’s gentle on the palate, bright with citrusy freshness, and brings out the natural richness of salmon in a way that’s both light and satisfying. Ideal for a spring lunch or a graceful dinner, it’s also a wonderful way to showcase quality ingredients in a very approachable manner.
At the heart of this dish is sustainably sourced salmon fillet. Choosing sustainably fished salmon isn’t just a nod to environmental responsibility—it also ensures a fresher, cleaner flavour. Poaching, rather than frying or baking, is a gentle cooking method that helps retain the salmon’s moisture and natural buttery texture. A mixture of dry white wine and water forms the base of the poaching liquid, subtly infusing the fish with aromatic depth while keeping it incredibly tender.
The sauce is where things truly come to life. It starts with extra virgin olive oil and finely minced shallot. Shallots, milder than regular onions, bring a slightly sweet, delicate sharpness that blends beautifully into sauces. Once softened and golden, they’re joined by more dry white wine. As it simmers and reduces, the wine concentrates in flavour, providing a lovely tang and richness.
Then come the capers and lemon juice—two stars of this dish. Capers, with their briny pop, add bursts of flavour that contrast wonderfully with the creamy finish of the sauce. Lemon juice brightens everything up, cutting through the richness and lifting the whole profile of the dish.
To tie it all together, a spoonful of sour cream is stirred in off the heat. This gives the sauce a creamy texture and slightly tangy flavour, without overpowering the lighter elements. A touch of salt is all that’s needed to bring balance.
When the Poached Salmon with Caper and Lemon Sauce is served, the salmon is topped with this silky, punchy sauce and finished with a scattering of fresh chopped dill. Dill and salmon are a classic pair—the herb’s faint anise-like quality complements the fish’s richness, adding freshness and colour.
Poached Salmon with Caper and Lemon Sauce is not only delicious but incredibly straightforward. It shows that good food doesn’t have to be complicated—just thoughtfully prepared with ingredients that speak for themselves.
Poached Salmon with Caper and Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb Salmon Fillets Sustainably Fished
- 1 cup dry white wine divided
- 2 tsp Extra Virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tsp capers rinsed
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp dill chopped
Instructions
- Place salmon in a large pan. Add 1/2 cup wine and enough water to just cover the salmon. Bring to a boil over high heat.1 lb Salmon Fillets, 1 cup dry white wine
- Reduce to a simmer, turn the salmon over, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
- Heat oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring until brown.1 large shallot, 2 tsp Extra Virgin olive oil
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine; boil until slightly reduced.
- Stir in lemon juice and capers; cook for a further 2-3 minutes.2 tbsp lemon juice, 4 tsp capers
- Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and salt.1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 tsp Salt
- To serve, top the salmon with the sauce and garnish with dill.1 tbsp dill
18 comments
This dish was so easy to make and tasted amazing.
I love how light and fresh this dish is. The lemon and caper sauce adds such a delightful zing to the salmon, and the dill garnish just pulls it all together.
I love how the sauce was creamy but not too heavy, and the dill added the perfect amount of freshness.
The capers were a lovely touch, and the lemony tang really brought the salmon to life.
The combination of the wine, lemon, and capers was just perfect with the poached salmon.
I love how this dish feels both healthy and indulgent at the same time.
The dish was so easy to prepare and everyoboy loved it.
The poached salmon was so tender and flaky, and the caper and lemon sauce was the perfect balance of tangy and creamy.
The poaching method kept the salmon moist and flavorful, and the sauce had just the right amount of creaminess.
Poached salmon is such a gentle way to cook fish, and this dish really highlights that.
Definitely a dish I will be making again
The salmon was beautifully tender, and the sauce added just the right amount of richness without being too much.
Highly recommend it.
A perfect meal for a summer evening.
Such a simple yet elegant dish.
A deliciously light yet flavour packed dish.
I’m usually not a fan of creamy sauces, but the sour cream in this one was so light and balanced perfectly with the capers.
I wasn’t expecting this dish to be as good as it was.