Blackened salmon, burnt lemon, smoky cajun fries… I know what you’re thinking… is this just a recipe you made out of a dinner you accidentally left on the hotplate too long? Thankfully the answer is no! This was genuinely an intentional creation, and I’ve gotta tell you lads, this burnt lemon butter gig is an absolute revolution… it’s going on anything and everything that the cooking gods will let me bless with it. I’m not even joking, I’m a super fan, and it’s going straight to the pool room aka. this blog.

If you haven’t already tried it, then you might not have experienced it, “burnt” lemon is a thing ladies and gents, it’s like a strange form of caramelisation that I didn’t even know was possible until I saw one of the great’s blogging about it. (@carolinagelen just in case you’re not already following her) So naturally I had to try it, and I guess I also figured, what better to pair it with than an already outrageous concept such as blackened salmon, which incidentally I already knew was a taste sensation, but I’m happy to say that this little combo is next level enough you’ll be burning things left right and centre just to see whatever else you might come up with!

Why I make this again and again

Blackened salmon is a staple in this household, not just because being blackened, you literally can’t fudge it up, but actually it’s really just code for cajun salmon… and it’s a spice mix that I happily put on anything anyway… except tofu, didn’t really enjoy cajun tofu, but pretty much anything else is a win. So being such a familiar flavour it’s worth its weight in versatility gold, I put it in tacos, serve it plain, add it to baked potatoes, I haven’t gone as far as using it in nachos, but I’m getting more curious the more I keep writing. All I’m saying is that you won’t regret having this little gem in your recipe repertoire even if you’re not a lemon butter super fan like me.

I need more of this butter in my life…
NATALIA FIDYKA

As for the butter, honestly between this, miso-butter, and the ‘world’s most perfect garlic bread’ parmesan butter my good friend I’ve just quoted there introduced me to… I’m not even sure I can go back to normal butter. When you know the world of tasty that this humble little medium can play host to… why wouldn’t you super flavour your life?

Also Read: Out-of-this-world flavourful Korean chicken skewers

Blackened salmon and burnt lemon butter — Take your fish game to the next level with burnt lemon butter. Brooke Murphy.

So you want to cook salmon darling…

Cook it, cook it good. Insert break dance solo here… Honesty I cook salmon so often I don’t remember what it’s like not to know how, but there are a few things that I’ve learnt along the way that help you get a wonderful result each time.

Be Choosy: First things first, don’t settle for mediocre salmon. Make sure the flesh is vibrant pink – not dull – and without any grey marks and be sure to aim for fresh not frozen where possible.
Seasoning is always in season. Sprinkle that salmon with some salt and pepper before and after cooking.
Heat Things Up: Make sure your cooking method is hot, hot, hot. Salmon likes it quick and fiery. Just like you, darling.
Timing Is Everything. Salmon cooks in a flash, so don’t get distracted. Four to six minutes per half-inch of thickness, and you’re golden. I also use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature is right. Expect it rise by up to 6 degrees during resting so I take mine off the heat when it gets to about 58 degrees (properly cooked salmon is at 63degrees)
Give It a Rest: After cooking, cover it with foil and let it chill for a few minutes. It’ll thank you with its juicy, flavorful presence.

Blackened Salmon with Burnt Lemon Butter salmon in creation

Blackened Salmon with Burnt Lemon Butter in the m

I will mention this in the recipe section below, but I do highly recommend serving this up with my cajun spiced sweet potato wedges. Tis a good match and certainly contributes to creating a healthy, flavourful and hearty serving for a main meal.

A note on ingredients:

blackened salmon and burnt lemon butter ingredients

Salmon: As above, always choose the best quality you can get your hands on, it really does make a difference to both the omega 3 content and the flavour of the fish.

Butter: Any old butter will do, but for the love of god don’t try to make this with margarine. Apart from the fact that margarine is pretty bad for you, it just won’t taste as good. “Everything is better with butter” – A direct quote from every French person ever, and I agree with them.

Greens: I’ve used broccolini here and it did my well, but I reckon asparagus or even beans would go just as well. Pretty sure this lemon butter will make even the bitterest of greens palatable.

Lemon: Any lemon will do, but just in case your the type to buy from road side stalls and farmers markets like I am, I wouldn’t recommend using the varieties that are all pith – the caramelisation process does rely on the natural sugars in the juice so I fear they might just burn but not in a good way if it’s not juicy enough.

Parsley: Flat leaf or curly, doesn’t really matter my friends. Either one will do as you are chopping it into an unrecognizable state.

Just one more thing…

I didn’t insist on this in the recipe because I didn’t want to make it too complicated for the average (time poor) home cook, but I do use either roasted garlic or confit garlic in the butter when I have it on hand, and it does add a little something something in terms of complexity. I would highly recommend that if you have the time to make it, or can source the goods somewhere locally, go the extra mile and add the extra garlicky goodness to your dish.

Blackened Salmon with Burnt Lemon Butter

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Servings 4

Charred for the gods, with an unexpectedly sweet zesty kick, you'll be lining up for the butter train and lavishing it on everything especially this cajun style blackened salmon.

Equipment

1 skillet
1 baking tray

Ingredients

For the salmon

4 darns salmon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
3/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano

Lemon butter

2.5 tbsp caramelised lemon chopped finely (See instructions)
2.5 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)
1 clove minced fresh garlic (or 4 cloves of roasted or confit garlic)
60 grams butter (at room temperature)
1 pinch salt (more to taste)

Sides

1 bunch broccolini (or other greens of choice)
1 serving cajun sweet potato wedges (see recipe notes for link)

Instructions

For the burnt / caramelised lemon
Cut slices about 5mm wide and place them on an oiled skillet on high heat. It should only take a minute or so to start turning brown and looking burnt – don't let it completely burn – turn it just after the caramelisation starts and do the same to the other side. You only need a couple of slices worth for this recipe, but I'd highly recommend making more and keeping it aside for use in other dishes. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.

For the lemon butter

Remember to chop up your burnt lemon slices. Mix all ingredients together so it's well blended through the butter, then refrigerate it so it's hard at serving time -you can put it in the freezer if you're in a hurry.

For the salmon

Pat the salmon dry and coat in the spice mixture
Heat olive oil to very hot in a skillet or other heavy-bottomed pan
Fry the salmon on both sides for around 4 minutes each side or until the internal temperature is around 62degrees

For the greens

If using broccolini – steam until just tender but not mushy – then fry in the same pan as the salmon with a dollop of the lemon butter – it's good if it gets a little bit charcoal looking.
If using asparagus, just go straight to cooking with the lemon butter in the pan.