• Yield: 4 servings

  • Time: 5 min prep, 10 min cooking, 15 min total


I always have a jar of capers in my fridge - they're a great shortcut to a good punchy flavor. Here, they cut through the rich oily fish. This dish can be made in only a few minutes. I like to serve it with just some simply boiled new potatoes. Instead of salmon, it would be as good with fresh mackerel, an equally oily fish.

  • 4 tablespoons (50g) butter, diced

  • 4 (4-ounce/125g) salmon fillets (with the skin left on, if you wish)

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with 6 to 8 tablespoons water

  • 4 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

Place a frying pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add a couple of pats (knobs) of butter, very quickly followed by the salmon, with the skin side down. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown underneath. Turn over, season with salt and pepper, and fry for another couple of minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. (The timing will depend on the thickness of the salmon fillets and heat of the pan.)

Add the capers, along with the remaining butter, and lemon juice mixture and boil for 1 minute. Season to taste, adding more lemon juice or water, if necessary. Transfer the salmon onto warmed plates, stir the chopped dill into the sauce, and pour over the fish to serve.


From Rachel's Irish Family Food: 120 Classic Recipes from My Home to Yours by Rachel Allen. Copyright © 2013, Collins.