creamy salmon scampi

Salmon

Creamy Salmon Scampi

This one-skillet salmon dish comes together in less than 30 minutes and features classic scampi flavors and a creamy sauce. What more could you want? For extra-crispy toast, you can compress the bread in the skillet while it toasts by weighing it down with a tea kettle or another skillet. This is a great technique to have under your belt any time you want to make bruschetta without turning on the oven.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the skillet
4 slices country bread (each 1/2 inch thick)
5 cloves garlic, 1 crushed, 4 finely chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
four 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and brush lightly with olive oil. Add the bread slices and cook, checking occasionally, until toasted and golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and toast the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. While still hot, rub one side of the slices with the crushed garlic and brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the salmon dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the salmon, flesh-side down, and sear until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the salmon is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more depending on thickness. Remove to a plate and wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.
Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter. When the butter is melted, add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until sizzling, about 30 seconds; take care not to let them burn. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the salmon to the skillet and simmer just to heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve in wide shallow bowls with the garlic toast.