Salmon Piccata with Rice and Honey Buttered Carrots
Pan-seared salmon fillets in a lemon-caper piccata sauce, served with honey buttered carrots over a bed of rice.
This Salmon Piccata with Rice and Honey Buttered Carrots is a flavorful, refined dish featuring two 6-ounce salmon fillets, pan-seared until crispy and topped with a zesty lemon, caper, and garlic piccata sauce. Fluffy white rice cooked in chicken broth serves as a perfect base to soak up the sauce, while tender baby carrots are glazed in a sweet honey-butter mix, balancing the meal with a touch of sweetness. Together, these elements create a harmonious blend of zesty, savory, and sweet flavors for a comforting yet elegant meal.
Servings
2
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Ingredients
For the Salmon
2 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for dusting)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the Piccata Sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup capers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Rice
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Honey Buttered Carrots
1 cup of baby carrots
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Cook the Rice: Rinse rice until water runs clear. Bring water to a boil and stir in Better than Bouillon base. Add rice, olive oil, and salt. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep covered until serving.
Prepare the Baby Carrots: Boil carrots for about 5 minutes until slightly tender, then drain. In the same pot, melt butter and stir in honey. Simmer until slightly thickened.
Prepare the Piccata Sauce: Juice a lemon to make ¼ cup juice. Mince garlic and drain capers. Prepare chicken broth, butter, salt, and pepper.
Cook the Salmon: Season salmon with salt and pepper, lightly dust with flour. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet. Cook salmon flesh side down for 4 minutes, covered. Flip skin side down and cook for another 4 minutes. Flip again, remove the skin, and set aside.
Make the Piccata Sauce: In the same skillet, cook garlic for 1 minute. Add lemon juice and broth, simmer, then add capers. Whisk in butter until melted, stir in half the parsley.
Serve: Return salmon to skillet, spoon sauce over to reheat. Serve over rice with buttered carrots on the side. Garnish with remaining parsley.
Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil and stir in 2 teaspoons of Better than Bullion base. Add the rice, olive oil, and salt. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and keep it covered until serving.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the carrots. Boil about 5 minutes until slightly tender. Drain the carrots and set aside. In the same pot, add the butter to melt and then stir in the honey. Simmer a few minutes to coat the sauce until slightly thickened and remove from heat.
Juice a fresh lemon to make ¼ cup of juice. Mince 2 cloves of garlic. Drain the capers. Prepare the chicken broth, butter, salt, and pepper.
Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour.
Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet.
Place the salmon flesh side down and let cook about 4 minutes over medium heat and covered.
Flip the filets skin side down and continue to cook about 4 more minutes. Flip again and easily remove the skin. Remove the salmon from the skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet, cook minced garlic for 1 minute.
Add lemon juice and broth, and bring to a simmer. Add capers.
Add the butter to whisk in until melted.
Stir in half the parsley.
Return the salmon to the skillet, spoon sauce over to reheat.
Serve the salmon over a bed of rice, with the buttered carrots alongside. Garnish with remaining parsley.
