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Summer dinners – light and fresh
It’s that time of year when we’re all looking for summer dinner ideas that are lighter for the warmer days but still delicious and hearty enough to fill you up. Nobody wants to eat something heavy on a hot day, where even cooking and eating feel like a chore. So, it’s always good to have a few easy recipes up your sleeve for these warm summer months. Today’s recipe is just that! This is a salmon recipe that lets the fish shine, and is served with new potatoes and a dill sauce that pairs so well with the tender fish.
Our first salmon recipe
If you know anything about Scandinavians, you’ll know that we love eating fish, especially in the summertime. In Denmark, you’re never too far from the water, and one of our favorite summer evening activities is to go out to eat down by the harbor. That’s where you can enjoy freshly caught fish, cooked to perfection, likely followed by an ice cream and a nice walk along the water as the sun sets. However, although we’ve shared some cod recipes in the past, this is our first salmon recipe! We love salmon, as it’s a very nutritious fish, and it’s also easy to find in supermarkets and fishmongers around the world.
Dill – the perfect Scandi partner to salmon
While the star of the show in this recipe is definitely the salmon, we couldn’t resist adding a creamy and herby sauce that will keep you coming back to this recipe over and over again. Dill is undoubtedly the Scandinavian herb of choice, served with all sorts of fish dishes across the region. It’s just such a fresh and vibrant flavor that works well with the richness and fattiness of certain fish, and really just brightens up any dish. In this sauce, it gives a really great flavor that complements the salmon, so every bite is just absolutely delicious.
Other light summer dinner ideas
If you’re on the hunt for any other light summer dinner ideas, we have a few that you might want to check out. If you’re looking for more fish recipes, here’s our pan-fried cod with parsley sauce (a Danish classic from our childhood) and our fishcakes with remoulade sauce. Both are super bright and herby dishes with heartiness from the fish. If you’re more in the mood for a salad, we have a summer pasta salad with a delicious basil pesto dressing, or a nectarine, prosciutto, and burrata salad, for something a little more Italian-inspired. Finally, if all you want is something to top your rugbrød with, our shrimp salad (rejesalat) and curry chicken salad (kyllingesalat) are two great options.
Ingredients you’ll need for this dish
This recipe really lets the ingredients shine, so you’ll want to make sure you get pretty high-quality salmon if you can. You’ll need around 4 fillets (this will serve 4 people) of salmon, along with olive oil, salt, pepper, and some garlic powder if you like. The dill sauce consists of butter, flour, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and lots of fresh dill. Finally, for the potatoes, you’ll just need salt if you’re going to boil them; if you’d prefer to roast them in the oven, a simple toss in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder will do. We also garnish the final dish with some chives, but they can be omitted, or you can garnish with extra dill instead. Of course, you can serve the salmon alongside other vegetables in addition to or instead of the potatoes.
How to make our salmon recipe
Start by either boiling or roasting the potatoes – they will take the longest. We then like to sear our salmon skin-side down to get it crispy, and then finish it off in the oven, so it’s nice and flaky without getting dry or over-cooked. While it’s cooking, work on the dill sauce. This starts off with a roux – melted butter and flour – to which you add the milk and cream until it thickens up. Then, simply stir in the dill, salt, and pepper. Finish off the sauce with a bit of extra butter so it’s extra glossy and delicious. Season to taste and serve up the dish – we like to do this family-style, and then people can serve themselves. Enjoy!
Salmon with New Potatoes and a Creamy Dill Sauce
Flaky, soft salmon paired with a creamy and herby dill sauce, served on a bed of new potatoes. The perfect summer dinner!
Ingredients
POTATOES
If boiling the potatoes:
- 1300 grams new/baby potatoes
- Salt for the water
If roasting the potatoes:
- 1300 grams new/baby potatoes
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
SALMON
- 4 fillets salmon (each ~150g or ~5oz)
- 30 ml olive oil or neutral oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Garlic powder (optional)
DILL SAUCE
- 30 grams unsalted butter
- 12-15 grams flour
- 120 ml whole milk
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 15 grams chopped dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 15 grams unsalted butter (added at the end)
- Extra milk in case the sauce gets too thick
GARNISH
- 10 grams chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F (190C).
- Wash your new/baby potatoes well before adding to large pot with cold/room temp water. You can cut some in half or quarters to keep them relatively the same size if needed!
- Add salt to the water.
- Place on the stove and turn the stove on high heat; cover until the potatoes come to a boil (keep an eye on it closely, you don't want it to boil over!)
- Uncover the pot and boil for approximately 15 minutes or until tender. Adjust your stove if necessary to keep them boiling.
- If you prefer, you can roast potatoes by placing them on a lined baking sheet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder – coat the potatoes well, then place in the oven and roast for at least 30 minutes or until tender.
- While the potatoes are boiling, prep your salmon fillets (you can buy precut, or slice a larger side of salmon at home!) by seasoning with salt and pepper, and optionally garlic powder.
- Heat an oven safe pan over medium to high heat; once hot, add a few tablespoons of olive oil or neutral oil, and place your salmon fillets skin side down in the pan.
- Cook for about 5 minutes without moving the fillets around.
- After 5 minutes, flip the salmon, then transfer the pan to an oven to cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the salmon registers an internal temperature of 145F (62C).
- After you transfer the salmon to the oven, make sure to check on your potatoes – if they're done, drain them and leave them in the pot! If they still need a few more minutes, make sure to keep an eye on them while you're working on the dill sauce.
- While the salmon is in the oven, it's time to make the dill sauce.
- Place a small pot on the stove over medium heat and melt 2 tbsp of butter.
- Whisk in flour and cook for about a minute with the butter. It won't get too thick, but make sure you keep whisking to prevent it from burning.
- In a measuring cup, add your milk and cream together.
- Pour milk and cream slowly into the pot with the roux (butter and flour), whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Once you've added all the milk and cream, whisk and make sure the mixture is bubbling at the edges.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit more milk.
- Add in chopped dill, salt and pepper, and whisk well. Cook for just another minute, whisking constantly.
- Add 1 tbsp of butter at the end and turn off the heat, whisking until the butter is incorporated.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust salt levels if needed.
- The salmon should be done at this point – remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. If your potatoes were not done previously, make sure to check them and drain the water, or if they are roasting in the oven, check for tenderness. Remove from heat/remove from the oven.
- Keep the dill sauce warm and whisk before serving. If it does thicken up, add a tiny bit more milk.
- Serve the salmon and potatoes all together on a plate for a family style/dinner party meal, or make individual plates. Cover with sauce and garnish with chopped chives or additional dill sprigs! Enjoy!
