Pan Seared Honey Glazed Salmon with Browned Butter Lime Sauce

In the Barbee household, we eat shrimp and fish about once a week. I know that Ethan is fond of shrimp night and weary of fish night. Last night, that's right, last night, I had to share this recipe with all of you immediately, he proclaimed we could have salmon every week if it tasted like this!

It was really superb, the salmon has a layer of flour and honey before dropping into sizzling olive oil, which forms an excellent crust on the fish. If that isn't enough, it is topped with a browned butter lime sauce, really who can go wrong with browned butter? The citrus from the lime makes this a perfect summer dish. I served it with roasted asparagus and roasted garlic smashed red potatoes, this would also go perfect with Cilantro Lime Brown Rice.

This recipe is for 4 people, but it can easily be halved for 2.
Source: Gourmet Magazine,  July 2006, via Cooking Classy

Ingredients:
4 Salmon Filets, 6 oz. each, rested at room temperature for 20 minutes
8 teaspoons of Flour, divided
2 tablespoons of Honey, divided
Zest of 1-2 Limes
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Recipe of Browned Butter Lime Sauce, recipe follows

Browned Butter Lime Sauce:
6 tablespoons of Salted Butter
3 tablespoons of Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
1 clove of Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper, freshly ground

Directions:
First, set the salmon filets out to come to room temperature. While you are doing this, start your prep work, this recipe will come together if you have all of the ingredients ready, juice and zest the limes, chop the garlic, etc.

Now, you will want to work in batches of two or use two pans at once, two filets per pan. Heat a non-stick pan with the olive oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating up, sprinkle the top of the salmon with one teaspoon of flour, even it out so it gets on the whole surface of the fish and then drizzle 3/4 teaspoon of honey on top of the flour. When the oil is hot, place the salmon, flour side down into the oil. Let the salmon cook 3-5 minutes, in the last minute, sprinkle one  teaspoon of flour evened out on the fish, and drizzle the honey; flip the salmon and cook another 3-5 minutes.

While the salmon is cooking, place the 6 tablespoons of butter into a light saucepan, cook over medium-high heat until the butter is fragrant and has turned a tan shade. Remove from heat. Place the butter, lime juice, garlic, and salt and pepper in a blender/food processor/immersion blender to pulse all of the ingredients together, this is to keep it from separating.

Serve the salmon immediately drizzled with browned butter lime sauce and garnished with lime zest.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife