Pan-Seared Salmon with a Pistachio Mint Cream Sauce

OMG. We have to have a meeting right now.

Sooooo I finished Gone Girl yesterday. ohhhhhhhhforthefreakinglove.

I’ve had a number of you ask for my final thoughts on the matter, and without any spoilers, I’ve collected my overall take on the ordeal, and I’ve come to a most substantial conclusion:

W.T.F.

 

Part one: SO HOOKED. Got me got me got me. Loved how the story unfolded and punched you in the brain. Loved to hate. Loved how each chapter ended with you going, oh duuuuude whaaaaaatttttt.

Part two: ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Brilliant! (If I say brillz I’m afraid you’ll paper cut my spleen.) This is going to sound so creepy but like, I totally think like that. A mental psychopath. Yep. Call it what you will, but, I admired it. The whole dang twisted masterminded thing. Aaaaand you want me in jail.

The end: . . . I’m sorry, what? No really, where’s the rest of the book?

 

Overall opinion: Genius. I seriously already miss it. The end could have not sludged through a pile of crap but I absolutely loved the mind game roller coaster what does it all mean who do I hate more OMG this is like our own little book club! Except I’m not spilling red wine on your new blouse. What should we read next? Eeee! Okay so do you think Reece should play Amy in the movie!? Now that I’ve finished the book, I’m not so sure. Who should play Nick? OH I SHOULD AUDITION. (For Amy, not Nick.)

Next meeting topic: this freaky awesome dinner that puts the holla back, y’all in cream sauce.

 

It’s a weeknight meal. It’s a date night meal. It comes together in about 20 minutes. It’s unbelievably decadent with zero fuss AND you still get your omega 3 on. B to the oom.

And it’s covered with pistachios. I’m sorry but there is no greater joy in life than cracking open the little pistachio shells with your front teeth and sucking all the salt off like a little squirrel in the woods.

Really, make this. I cannot stress it enough. You don’t want me to beg, do you?

BECAUSE I’M NOT AFRAID.

This meeting is adjourned.

Pan-Seared Salmon with a Pistachio Mint Cream Sauce:

What it took for 2:

* 2 Tbs. butter
* 2 fresh salmon fillets
* 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 2 tsp (or more!) freshly chopped mint (from one long stem)
* 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios (or more!)
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium high. Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper and sear in the pan for 3 minutes on one side. Flip and sear 2 more minutes. Remove from skillet and cover to keep warm.

Back in the skillet, add the flour to the melted butter and whisk until smooth, about a minute. Add the cream and lemon juice; continue to whisk, as it thickens, maybe 3 more minutes. If that. Add the chopped mint and a pinch of salt and pepper to the sauce. Taste it. UUUUUGH.

Serve salmon with a good and I mean GOOD drizzle of the cream sauce. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the the dish and serve with a steamed veggie, like the snow peas.

You don’t EVEN know.

* the sauce makes enough for 4 salmon fillets. So you could either sear up more fish, or cut the sauce in half if it’s just the two of you. Or keep the sauce as is and stick a straw in it. We clearly know the right answer here.

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for Aida Mollenkamp’s new cookbook Keys to the Kitchen!

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35 Responses to Pan-Seared Salmon with a Pistachio Mint Cream Sauce

  1. Ali | Gimme Some Oven October 25, 2012 at 8:48 am #
    YUM!!! I LOVE pistachios. And salmon. And cream sauces. And...just about everything on that plate. :) Beautiful!
  2. Tracey @ Cooking With Love October 25, 2012 at 9:06 am #
    Oh my, this looks scrumptious!!! Yes, scrumptious! I love salmon and I bet this is going to be delicious. Love the green accents. Very pretty!! :)
  3. Kathryn October 25, 2012 at 9:08 am #
    Man, I loved the end of Gone Girl. I thought it was perfect (but I seem to be alone in that). You would so make the perfect Amy.
  4. Katie October 25, 2012 at 9:11 am #
    Love that green fabric! I'm intimidated by cooking fish...so I'll just pop on over to your house for dinner. Mmkay? Also loved the crazy psycho mindgames. Will there PLEASE be a sequel! I want to know how those two end up...probably dead.
  5. Heather @ Heather's Dish October 25, 2012 at 9:13 am #
    i need that sauce in my face NOW!
  6. Erin@LawStudentsWife October 25, 2012 at 10:00 am #
    I ADORE pistachios. I'm a fan of/fiend for those little nuggets of green goodness. Cheers to 20-minute omega 3 wonder dinners.
  7. Abby@ Totes Delish October 25, 2012 at 1:14 pm #
    I lovelovelovelove pistachios! I have this weird thing with wanting as much salt as possible, so those salty babies fit the bill!
  8. Katie @ Blonde Ambition October 25, 2012 at 3:00 pm #
    Haha, this book sounds crazy. I might just be crazy enough to want to read it...... And pistachios are the best nut. Plus, they're negative calories cause you have to work to crack 'em open, right? No? That's not how it works?
  9. Kara October 25, 2012 at 3:05 pm #
    I loved the book, even the ending! Pistachio cream sauce, brillz!
  10. Cassie October 25, 2012 at 6:24 pm #
    I love pistachios. This is amazing!
  11. LisaG October 25, 2012 at 6:37 pm #
    I loved Gone Girl: her other book Sharp Objects good also. Gonna make this salmon!!
  12. Homer Glen Inspections October 25, 2012 at 7:57 pm #
    I love Salmon with a cream sauce... it always adds such a rich flavor to the fish!
  13. Jenny October 25, 2012 at 8:30 pm #
    mmmmmmmmm I have Salmon in my freezer this might be a must try next week with some white wine.
  14. Jenny October 25, 2012 at 8:31 pm #
    I could just lick this photo
  15. Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious October 25, 2012 at 11:52 pm #
    I want to swim in that sauce!
  16. Cookie and Kate October 26, 2012 at 1:05 am #
    Haven't seen Gone Girl, but if you want to show up at my front door with a plate of this salmon... that would be neat.
  17. Julia | JuliasAlbum.com October 26, 2012 at 2:12 am #
    That's a great fish recipe! Your salmon looks lovely! Love using nuts with fish.
  18. Lori @ RecipeGirl October 26, 2012 at 9:32 am #
    Big time salmon lover here, so I totally love this. And GONE GIRL, I completely agree with your assessment of the ending. Crazy. I did, however, order one of her other books on my Kindle... so we'll see how that one goes!
    • Bev Weidner October 26, 2012 at 10:58 am #
      Yesss, I'm about to order her other books too! Let's keep each other in the loop of what we think. :)
  19. Marcella October 26, 2012 at 1:38 pm #
    Love, love, love the combo of pistacchios and mint; and I love salmon. So will definitely try this recipe! Your pictures are amazing by the way.
  20. Lou Ann October 28, 2012 at 11:43 am #
    Reece = a perfect choice to play Amy. And for Nick I would choose that guy who plays Anne Hathaways sweet boyfriend in The Devil Wears Prada. Done. Gone. (Ha) Have you read "Wild" by Cheryl Strayer. I've just started it, I'm curious what all the fuss is about. Anybody ?
  21. Lou Ann October 28, 2012 at 11:51 am #
    Oh, Bev. If you love UNBELIEVABLE DYSFUCTIONALITY, you MUST read The Glass Castle. I still think about that book. It's a true story, you couldn't make some of that stuff up. It starts with author riding in a limo in Manhattan with co-workers. At a red light age notices a homeless woman digging in a trash can and realizes its her MOTHER. In exasperation she gets her mom to meet her for coffee and says Mom, I am GOING TO help you, now where should we begin?? The mother replies, I really could use a few sessions of electrolysis, once these things get out of control it's hard to manage.....
  22. suzan October 28, 2012 at 5:17 pm #
    sorry, but u used salted or unsalted pistachios? thanks for the answer
    • Bev Weidner October 30, 2012 at 9:52 am #
      Hi, Suzan! I used salted, all the way! But you can always opt for the unsalted if you're watching sodium. Let me know what you think!
      • Ilsabet June 28, 2021 at 3:00 pm #
        I made this last week and it was one of my favorite salmon dishes I've ever made (And I make a whole lot of salmon)! I made it again last night and added a little finely ground pistachio to the cream sauce as well as the chopped pistachios I added at the end just to enhance their flavor as well, and I really loved how it turned out! Thanks for this awesome recipe, it is definitely a new staple in my household ☺
  23. Ardex Cd Fine Concrete Dressing October 29, 2012 at 6:22 pm #
    This looks amazing!!!!!
  24. Kevin (Closet Cooking) October 31, 2012 at 9:19 am #
    This sounds like a really nice way to do salmon!
  25. Angela November 14, 2012 at 7:33 pm #
    Wow, this was an amazing meal! We had it tonight and practically licked the pan. It was sooo good and since I'm becoming adept at social media, I wanted to pin you, tweet you, etc., but none of the buttons worked for me and I couldn't find a pinterest button! If I'm doing something wrong let me know, this meal is too good not to share!
  26. Anonymous July 17, 2016 at 6:54 am #
    I used your recipe for office's masterchef challenge and won the best main dish category! (despite of only trying it only the night before!!!) Thanks for sharing!

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