Lush pan fried salmon steaks in a creamy homemade fresh sorrel, mustard and white wine sauce… This sorrel recipe is an old family classic, we make this salmon recipe since 3 generations!
And yes… we love a good family classic here, don’t we!
So what is one of my most favorite sorrel recipes all about then?
That is this creamy but light sorrel sauce, a classic family recipe from the grandmother of my husband. She was a cook for a wealthy Belgian family. And she learned to make this dish from her mom as well.
You can also find this salmon recipe in France where it is called ‘saumon à l’oseille’. Which just means salmon with sorrel sauce in French!
Easy Creamy Salmon & Sorrel Recipe
Do you know what sorrel is?
Have you ever cooked or even tasted sorrel before?
Sorrel is in season from about April until the end of September. The best sorrel of course is the one I grow in my lovely little herb garden! It is a herb that is very easy to grow. At least mine flourishes, I sometimes can’t keep up with it.
My god, that sorrel grows so fast!
Types of Sorrel
So what can you do about that?
If your fresh sorrel grows faster than you can eat it: bag it, tag it, freeze it!
There are 2 types of sorrel: the green one and the one with red veins.
The latter looks a bit like beetroot leaves. Both sorrel types taste great. But know that when the red sorrel leaves are young and fresh in the springtime, that red plant juice can make your cream sauce look a tad pink in the end.
Sorrel Steak
This sorrel sauce also works perfectly well in combination with grilled or barbecued steak.
Sorrel is also used in soups and salads. It has a bitter and rather sour taste as well.
Have you ever tasted sorrel soup?
If you can’t find any sorrel, then you can also replace it by spinach or arugula and a sprinkle of lemon juice! I sometimes add vermouth to the sauce instead of white wine also…
Are you looking for another sorrel recipe?
Classic Eels in Green Sauce
Then you should also check out my Belgian eels in green sauce, also known as ‘paling in ‘t groen’ in Flemish. That is also another yummy classic fish dish and a family favorite here as well!
Next up: pan fried salmon steaks in a creamy fresh sorrel sauce with strong mustard and white wine… This is an old family classic.
Enjoy this salmon and sorrel recipe!
Dig in…
And enjoy!
Easy French Salmon & Sorrel Recipe
Try out these pan fried salmon steaks in a creamy fresh sorrel sauce with strong mustard and white wine... This fresh sorrel recipe is an old family classic!
- 10,5 oz fresh salmon (300 g)
- ½ cup cream (120 ml)
- 1 small shallot chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine (240 ml), or vermouth
- a handful fresh sorrel leaves
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp strong mustard
- pepper
- salt
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Rinse and drain the sorrel. Chop it up and put it aside until later.
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Add the chopped shallot, mustard seeds and the butter to a medium saucepan. Place this over medium heat and gently cook the shallots in the melting butter for 3 minutes.
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Add the dry white wine (or vermouth).
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Let this reduce by at least half over low heat. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes. Then pour in the cream. Season with a pinch of pepper and salt.
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Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes over very low heat. Stir regularly. In the meantime cut the salmon in half. Season both pieces on all sides with pepper and salt. Pour the olive oil in non-stick pan and place it over medium-high heat until hot. Then add the seasoned salmon.
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Brown the salmon on all sides until cooked the way you like it.
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Remove the salmon from the pan and cover with a piece of tinfoil for now. Add the mustard to the cream sauce.
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Stir well and check the seasoning. Add extra pepper, salt or mustard to taste if necessary. Now take the cream sauce off the heat and stir in the drained and chopped sorrel.
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Place the cooked salmon onto plates. Drizzle with the creamy sorrel sauce. Serve immediately.
Wood Sorrel
Someone asked me a question for which I had to google the answer.
Is wood sorrel a good alternative for the sorrel that I am using in my salmon and sorrel recipe above?
Turns out that wood sorrel is indeed edible, and quite similar in taste!
So yes, you can also use wood sorrel.
It doesn’t look anything like my sorrel though. Wood sorrel makes me think of clover, and it has yellow flowers with are also edible.
Wood Sorrel Recipe
What else to make with wood sorrel?
Add it to soups, pesto, vinaigrette or use it raw in salads.
And how about drinks?
Add wood sorrel to tea. Or make is syrup by simmering wood sorrel in water and sugar until it is thick and sticky. Strain and use the wood sorrel syrup in cocktails or lemonade for instance!
Jamaican Sorrel Drink
And how about this one?
Is that Jamaican sorrel drink made with sorrel?
Not at all. Jamaican sorrel is a hibiscus flower, aka roselle. It is purple in color, tastes a little sour with hints of raspberry.
Delicious but made with a totally different plant!