This post is made in partnership with Seafood from Norway

The cool and misty mornings with twirling leaves descending from their perches signal that autumn has once again arrived in our northern home. Flavors of fall become the focus with rich dishes at the center to keep us cozy as the warmer temperatures slowly diminish. A walk around our woods just this past week led to some perfectly plump chanterelles waiting to fill our baskets. With these, and the sage leaves still thriving in the garden, I was inspired to create a hearty dinner featuring delectable salmon from Norway all encompassed in some of the season’s tastes.

The salmon you’ll find here in Norway is known for its pure taste, beautiful color, and firm texture – where the salmon thrive in the ideal natural environment of Norway’s ice-cold, clean waters. It’s a uniquely versatile fish that can fit into any meal and here, I am serving it with brown butter, hazelnuts, chanterelles, and sage.

A simple pan-sear with salt and pepper is all it takes to prepare the salmon, followed by the remainder of the ingredients cooking in the same pan. The chanterelles cook until golden, while the roughly chopped hazelnuts toast and the sage crisps in brown butter. Lingonberries ‘tyttebær’ are readily foraged at this time too, so they add an excellent pop of color and tanginess that the final dish could use if you have access to them. Otherwise, a good substitute would be a relish made with finely chopped fresh cranberries.  

The whole meal is quick to prepare and simply divine…rich, most certainly. I highly recommend serving this with bright and acidic sides, such as a zesty vinaigrette salad, sour cream, and seasonal vegetables with a dash of lemon. As touched on above, a relish of cranberries or lingonberries would be a lovely addition.  

Salmon with Brown Butter Chanterelles, Hazelnuts & Sage

Serves 4

• 4 boneless Norwegian salmon filets
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons oil, plus more as needed
• 7 ounces (200 g) chanterelles
• ¼ cup (56 g) butter
• ½ cup (52 g) hazelnuts, roughly chopped  
• 20 sage leaves
• Lingonberries, to serve

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Season the salmon filets with salt and pepper.

In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up, and cook, undisturbed, for about 4 minutes before turning and cooking for another 3 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your preference. Transfer the salmon to a serving platter and cover to keep warm.  

In the same pan, add the chanterelles, and 1 tablespoon of oil if needed, and cook over medium-high heat, occasionally stirring, for about 8 minutes or until the chanterelles have released their juices and turned golden-brown on all sides. Transfer the chanterelles to a bowl.

In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to sizzle, add the hazelnuts and sage leaves, and cook for about 3 minutes or until the nuts are toasty, the sage is crispy, and the butter is nicely browned. Add the chanterelles, toss to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the chanterelle mixture over the top of the salmon filets. Garnish with fresh lingonberries (if you have) and serve immediately with bright and acidic sides, such as a zesty vinaigrette salad, sour cream, and seasonal vegetables with a dash of lemon.