Jacques Pépin's Basil Butter For Salmon Is So Rich And Easy

Searching for an easy way to elevate a weeknight serving of baked salmon? Take a leaf out of French chef Jacques Pépin's book and top your fish with a dollop of basil butter. This easy tip comes together quickly and results in a dish that looks effortlessly chic and smells incredibly inviting.

Showcased in a Facebook video from the Jaques Pépin Foundation, the cookbook author starts by putting a handful of chopped basil in a processor along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Then he adds three tablespoons of butter and pulses the mixture to create a textured paste that's flecked with green. Finally, the cookbook author drizzles in a dash of olive oil and processes the butter for a second time to loosen its consistency. The result is a velvety compound butter that's aromatic, rich, and gives off a satisfying umami vibe. Pépin smears generous dollops of this fragrant basil butter over fillets of salmon that are still hot from the oven so the fat can melt and dribble down the freshly-baked fish, lending it both moisture and flavor.

As the basil butter isn't baked in the oven, the herb retains its verdant hue and fresh aroma. It's only when the butter is spread over the salmon that the heat elevates the fragrance of the basil. Any leftover butter can be served in a bowl alongside the fish at the table.

Pépin bakes his fish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-12 minutes, until medium rare in the center. However, you may need to adjust these timings depending on the thickness of your salmon fillets. The fish is served with julienned zucchini (cooked on the same sheet pan as the salmon for convenience) but the real star of the show is the creamy savoriness of the French chef's flavored butter. 

Throughout his venerable career, the TV personality has created several recipes that elevate fish in a simple but effective way using other umami-rich ingredients. For instance, Jacques Pépin uses savory miso paste to flavor fish in two ways by mixing it with hot chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and mirin to glaze roasted cod, or combining it with maple syrup, soy, rice vinegar, and chili sauce to create a marinade for broiled salmon.

Don't have any miso paste in your pantry? Jacques Pépin uses just three ingredients to make a glaze for salmon that's equally as flavorful. Featuring ketchup, hot chili oil, and toasted sesame oil, this sweet, nutty and spicy mixture is brushed over the fish before it's grilled, baked or air-fried to give it a tangy warmth and stickiness.