Fresh Salmon with Tricolored Peppercorn Sauce

This salmon gets a squeeze of fresh lemon before hitting the grill or broiler, then gets finished with crushed tricolored peppercorns, fresh dill, and a warm Dijon-lemon butter drizzled over the top. It’s a restaurant-quality plate that takes about 15 minutes start to finish.

Tricolored peppercorns (black, white, and pink) bring more complexity than black pepper alone. Black peppercorns are sharp and biting, white are earthy and more subtle, and pink peppercorns add a light, almost floral sweetness. Crushed together, they create a peppercorn crust with real depth.

The butter sauce is dead simple: melted butter, a teaspoon of Dijon, and fresh lemon juice stirred together. It’s barely a recipe, but spooned warm over the hot salmon, it ties the peppercorn and dill together into a cohesive, rich finish.

Chef Tips

• Don’t overcook the salmon. Pull it when the center is still slightly translucent. It continues cooking off the heat and will be perfectly done by the time you add the toppings.
• Crush the peppercorns coarsely in a mortar and pestle or under the flat side of a knife. Fine ground pepper won’t give you the same textured bite.
• Sprinkle the peppercorns and dill on the salmon after cooking, not before. The peppercorns burn on the grill, and the dill turns black.
• Use fresh dill, not dried. Dried dill has a fraction of the flavor and none of the aroma.

Variations

• Broil instead of grilling for a more hands-off approach.
• Add a teaspoon of capers to the butter sauce for a briny kick.
• Serve over a bed of arugula for a warm salad presentation.