Kono's Salmon Picatta

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Kono makes a wonderfully easy picatta sauce that he uses to cook with chicken or fish.  I have never bothered to make it myself because it is one of Kono’s specialties and he does it perfectly. 

The best part is that it’s a quick one pan meal that is light and flavorful.  All of our children love his picatta and he has taught each of them how to make it.  Will they though?  When dad will make it for them…

Tonight he made a wild salmon (we do live in the Northwest) picatta that was excelent.  Light clean flavors of lemon, white wine and capers brought together with butter (everything taste better with butter).

Kono always buys a side of salmon and removes the skin and cuts his own fillets - but you can easily purchase salmon fillets.

When he uses chicken for picatta he either slices the breast into even cutlets or flattens out the chicken by placing a piece of plastic wrap over it and pressing (man power) on the thickest parts so the chicken will cook evenly.  You can use a mallet or rolling pin if you choose to pound out the thick parts.

Kono never measures anything so this is a guess-timate of the ingredients.

KONO’S SALMON PICATTA

6                                  salmon filets

                                    flour, for dusting fish

2 – 3   Tbsp.              olive oil

1 - 2    cloves             garlic, minced

¼         cup                 dry white wine

1          Tbsp.              capers

½                                 lemon, juiced

½         stick                cold butter, cut up

                                    Kosher salt and pepper

Season the salmon fillets with a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper.

Lightly flour the salmon and shake off excess.

Heat a heavy bottom sauté pan on high and add olive oil.

Place the salmon fillets in the pan and cook for about 2 min. per side.  Don’t crowd the pan; cook in batches if needed.

Remove the salmon from the pan when cooked and place on a serving platter while you make the sauce.

SAUCE

Add the garlic to the pan and toss around, add capers, wine and lemon juice.  Let sauce reduce slightly then add cold butter cubes to the pan shaking and swirling the pan as the butter melts (this will thicken the sauce) pour over the fish and serve.