How to make a simple Lemon Dill Sauce
A simple and delicious Lemon Dill Sauce for your favorite seafood recipes. It stores easily and is great on steak and grilled meat and vegetables.
Many Lemon Dill Sauce recipes have a thick and creamy texture. This recipe is the opposite. Not only does it take, for example, grilled asparagus or even baked salmon to a whole new level of flavors, but the taste also does not overpower the other ingredients. It even makes a good salad dressing if you don’t mind feeling a bit like an adventurous foodie.
What is Dill?
Dill is a plant that is in the same family as parsley and celery. Dill tastes grassy with a bit of anise-like licorice flavor. Dill seed tastes like a mild version of caraway.
Fresh dill or dill weed will lose its flavor when cooked for a long time. Whereas the seeds add aroma and flavor when heated. Therefore Dill Weed should be added at the last minute of cooking.
Where to buy Dill and how to store it
Dill can be purchased in the fresh or produce aisle of your local grocery store. It is usually sold in a bunch or package in a small plastic box and hung on a metal rod with other fresh herbs.
This wonderful herb must be kept wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator. If you want it to last longer, place it in a jar or glass filled with water – and spread the branches like you were arranging your flowers in a vase.
How to make Lemon Dill Sauce
You will need the following ingredients for the sauce:
- Fresh garlic minced
- Chicken stock or broth or even white wine: You can either make your own chicken stock or substitute for store-bought. If you have white wine, go for it. It will taste even better.
- Lemon juice: don’t go for the bottled kind. Use fresh lemon juice; it tastes so much better with the sauce.
- Fresh Dill: chopped the leaves and tender stems with a sharp knife
- Dijon mustard: if you can buy good mustard. I usually buy Maille or Grey Coupon
- Heavy cream: not too much, just enough to make it slightly thick.
- Unsalted butter: use unsalted; it’s creamier and helps with the taste. Regular salt can sometimes be a bit too salty to use in sauces.
- Cayenne pepper: I call it the king of all powdery hot pepper. Just a pinch goes a long way.
- Salt: we need it! Use a fine salt, like kosher or Himalayan pink salt.
- Fresh ground black pepper: better for food and very flavorful.
Instructions for the Lemon Dill Sauce
- Add minced garlic, wine or chicken stock, and lemon juice over medium heat in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil and let boil for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and whisk in mustard and heavy cream. Mix to blend completely. Add fresh dill and continue while the mixture is boiling. Add cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Continue to cook the sauce until it thickens, and make sure to whisk the entire time.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the butter pieces one at a time. The sauce will be silky smooth. Serve immediately with your salmon, over vegetables or meat.
Notes:
- Always use fresh dill.
- Use white wine, chicken stock, or chicken broth.
- Taste the sauce after adding the above ingredients to make sure that you have salt.
- The sauce will store for about 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- This recipe makes about ½ -1 cup of Lemon Dill Sauce.
Sources:
- https://www.thespruceeats.com/all-about-dill-4117140
Lemon Dill Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth or white wine
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup heavy cream whole or light
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add minced garlic, wine or chicken stock, lemon juice, over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil and let boil for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and whisk in mustard and heavy cream. Mix to blend completely. Add fresh dill and continue while the mixture is boiling. Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
- Continue to cook the sauce until it thickens and make sure to whisk the entire time.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the butter pieces one at a time. The sauce will be silky smooth. Serve immediately with your salmon, over vegetables or meat.
Notes
- Always use fresh dill.
- Use white wine, chicken stock, or chicken broth.
- Taste the sauce after adding the above ingredients to make sure that you have salt.
- The sauce will store for about 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- This recipe makes about ½ -1 cup of Lemon Dill Sauce
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
