Saffron equals deliciousness.  This Salmon with Saffron Cream Sauce has savory, mature floral flavors and will keep you coming back for more.

It’s Pass the Cook Book Club time! With Mardi Gras right around the corner, I picked recipes from Cooking Up a Storm, an amazing cook book that with help from local paper, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, gathered and collected cherished recipes lost when Hurricane Katrina struck. This book is priceless in my opinion for that alone. There is something about those tidbits of paper, scratched and stained recipes and notes handed down that matter more than stuff. There is comfort to be had in food, around the table, with good company.

Every recipe begins with a short intro about where it came from and how it was asked for. These aren’t all high class fancy restaurant recipes. These are recipes from a local paper submitted by normal residents of the city. Mom food, restaurant food, quality cocktails, and most certainly some old fashioned down home recipes. It’s just a Cajun cook book, or a Creole cook book, it’s a collection of memories.

As for the recipes, the three I chose this month were geared towards a Cajun flair. I wanted recipes that made me think of New Orleans. Club members picked from Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, Crawfish in a Saffron Cream Sauce, and a Bananas Foster Pie. No lie, I was really excited about all three (and the 42 other recipes I tabbed while flipping through the book again). Check out the Creole bread pudding and meaty gumbo I have posted about before from Cooking Up a Storm.

If you’ve tried my Salmon with Saffron Cream Sauce recipe, or any other recipe on passthesushi.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow along for more good eats and travel tips on Instagram @passthesushi & @girlcarnivore, Twitter & Facebook.

After spending some time in Alaska fishing the Copper River for fresh Coho and Sockeye Salmon, I have been inspired to cook it every way possible.  Try these recipes out for yourself.

Curry Roasted Salmon & Veggies With Tahini Sauce over Basmati

Spring Grilling: King Salmon with Peas and Mint

Salmon Cakes with Slow Cooker Parmesan Risotto

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Salmon with Saffron Cream Sauce

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

I was really excited to try this recipe as it was written, with crawfish. Unfortunately my market was a little scarce in the seafood section and I ended up bringing home salmon steaks. Since this sauce is 100% a do-over, I will be trying it someday with crawfish instead.

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Ingredients

• 2 - 4 fresh salmon steaks
• 4 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup minced shallots
• 4 to 6 mushrooms, sliced
• pinch of saffron
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• ¼ cup vermouth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp dill weed
• 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• salt
• black pepper
• hot cooked rice for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and season the salmon with salt and pepper. 
3. Bake for 20 minutes, until salmon flakes with a fork easily.
4. Put the saffron and sherry in a small bowl and stir. Let stand for a few minutes.
5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet and add the shallots. 
6. Sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms. 
7. Cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms have softened, stirring occasionally.
8. Add the sherry saffron mix to the skillet and quickly deglaze if needed. 
9. Add the vermouth. Cook and stir for 4 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by half. 
10. Add the cream, dill, and parsley. Increase the heat to medium-high, and reduce the sauce until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Serve salmon (or crawfish if using) over rice (I used a yellow rice and tossed in some peas) and spoon sauce over top.

Notes

Cooking Up a Storm