Pan-Crisped Salmon with Light Garlic Dijon Cream Sauce

There aren’t a lot of seafood recipes on this blog. I know that. I am trying so hard to like seafood more. I should, considering I grew up near the coast. But the thing is – most of the seafood I ate in the first 21 years of my life was deep fried. My personal favorite was fried crab claws, which is apparently an Alabama thing because I never see them anywhere else, but I’ve since learned to appreciate crab in other forms (like in these awesome crab cakes). What I’m trying to tell you is that my tastebuds weren’t really exposed to seafood until well after college. Unless you count sushi, which I love. Yes, I realize it’s weird to like raw fish and not cooked fish. What can I say? I’m a complicated person.

Next to mild white fish varieties, salmon has been my go-to seafood to try. There’s exactly one other salmon recipe on this blog, and it’s a good one. I figured it was time to branch out, especially since I want Clara exposed to different foods early on. I’m still trying to be the best version of myself for her, and the best version of me is unafraid to try new things. So when this recipe popped up in my Reader (RIP), I knew I had to try it. I wasn’t sure I would even like it, but I trust my friend Tara and know she wouldn’t post something that wasn’t totally awesome. So I took the plunge and am so happy I did. The salmon in this recipe is cooked skin side up, so the top of the fish ends up wonderfully crispy. I almost hated to top it with sauce because it looked so good on its own, but I have a thing for mustardy cream sauces, and this one was especially delicious. It’s rich and flavorful, with punch from the garlic and Dijon. We served this fish with sautéed asparagus, and I put quite a bit of the sauce on top of it, too. We loved this and were so, so happy that Clara enjoyed it too. Here’s to hoping that she grows up with an appreciation of many different types of food.