Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Salmon

Salmon

1. Pat the salmon with paper towels to dry it and evenly season the flesh with the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
2. To a large skillet, add the oil, add the salmon filets skin side down, and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Tip - I like to use a heavy All-Clad stainless steel skillet because you get a better sear than if using a nonstick skillet, however use what you have noting that nonstick = not great at searing.
3. Flip the salmon, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until salmon is done and cooked through. Cooking Tips - Salmon should be opaque and flake easily when done. I err on the side of just slightly under-cooking it a bit at this stage because the salmon will rest, the internal temp will continue to rise and it will cook a bit even out of the skillet, and you're putting it back into warm cream sauce again later. But cook until it's as done as you like, everyone's preferences vary.
4. After salmon is as done as you desired, remove it from the skillet, and set it on a plate to rest, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Garlic Butter Cream Sauce

1. Using the same skillet, add the butter, and heat over medium to medium-high heat to melt it, swirling the skillet to encourage melting.
2. Add the garlic, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir nearly continuously with a wooden spoon to prevent burning.
3. Add the broth to deglaze the pan. Note that the broth will cause a lot of steam to form and it will sizzle and hiss. This is normal.
4. Add the sun dried tomatoes to the broth and allow them to simmer for 1-2 minutes; stir very frequently.
5. Add the heavy cream and allow it to simmer gently (barely bubbling) for about 2-3 minutes. Tips - Make sure to pay attention to the heat output of your burner and do not let the cream come up to a fast boil because the proteins can break and you would need to start over. Heavy cream is more resistant to "breaking" than half-and-half, but it can be substituted, noting the final dish won't be quite as creamy. I don't recommend lower fat milks. If you like wine in your sauces, reduce the cream amount by 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup dry white (chardonnay, pinot grigio) along with the cream.
6. Add the spinach and cook for about 2 minutes, or until it wilts; stir continuously to encourage wilting.
7. Add the Parmesan, salt, pepper, optional red pepper flakes, and stir until the cheese melts, about 1-2 minutes.
8. Add the salmon back into the skillet, spoon the sauce over it, flip it over a couple times to really coat it well, and allow it to simmer in the sauce for 1-2 minutes, or just until nice and warm before serving immediately.
9. You can serve the dish over pasta (I used fettuccine but any pasta is fine), rice, mashed potatoes, vegetables, or a salad. See blog post for serving suggestions and recipe links.

Storage

1. Salmon is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat very gently in the microwave. I don't recommend freezing this recipe since the cream sauce may separate or not survive the freezing/thawing process very well. This is also not a great make-ahead dish. Fish is simply better made and eaten warm and freshly made.