Salmon with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

I am learning a lot from this blogging experience. When I cook, I usually just throw things in the pot or pan that I know will taste good together without bothering to measure anything. I have started writing down my original recipes, or when I make changes to a recipe, I make sure to note what I am changing. It has been a good experience for me. Another thing I am learning is how to photograph food to make it look appealing. I am still learning, and the lighting in my house and my camera are not the best, but I am trying. I still haven't learned how to photograph fish to make it look good. Especially fish with sauce on top of it. I must have taken 20 photos of the fish, and this one was the best of the bunch if you can believe it. The fish was absolutely fantastic though, so that is what matters.

This recipe is adapted from bonappetit.com. I wasn't able to grill the fish like the recipe calls for, but I pan-fried it instead, and it turned out great. Pan-frying it created a nice crispy crust on the fish. I also made a few changes to the sauce, which is a great accompaniment to the fish.

Serves 4

Sauce:

• 3/4 cup sour cream
  
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  
• 2 tablespoons prepared white horseradish
  
• 1 tablespoon basil, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon chives, snipped
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  
• salt and pepper
  

Fish:

• Non-stick vegetable spray
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
  
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)

For sauce:

Mix all the ingredients together, season with salt a pepper. Cover and chill. Can be made a day ahead. (I seasoned with a little extra soy sauce instead of salt, not much, about a teaspoon or so.)

For salmon:

Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Spray a skillet liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk oil, horseradish, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush over both sides of the fish. If the salmon has skin, place the salmon skin side up in the pan. Cook the salmon until opaque in the center, about 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the fillet. I had tail pieces of salmon so it was only about 3 minutes per side until my fish was done. If I would have had center cut fillet it would have been about 4-5 minutes per side. Serve the fish immediately with the sauce.