We are all familiar with black pepper, which come from black peppercorns, naturally. The same with white pepper. There are also green peppercorns (I have a wonderful Green Peppercorn and Cream Sauce recipe in my post of 05/10/18). Each has its own fragrance  and flavor. And a sauce of white peppercorns and butter is far and away one of the best. White pepper is milder than black pepper and gives food its own accent. I like it over seafood. It particularly goes well with salmon, one of the more delicate of fish. A rich, heavy sauce will overwhelm its taste, whereas a white pepper sauce will  enhance it tremendously. So, here it is, salmon fillets, or steaks, in a white peppercorn sauce.

Let me state that this sauce goes well over vegetables, not just seafood. Some even like it with pork chops, lamb chops or steaks. Again, my preference is with salmon. As they say, it’s a marriage made in heaven—and the sauce is so easy to make. In the recipe given below, I paired it with Spanish yellow rice. I’m sure that fries or a baked potato will do just as well.

WHITE PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets, about 6-8 oz. each. or 4 fish steaks (1½ pounds)
1 teaspoon white peppercorns (more or less to taste)
½ cup butter, softened
¼ teaspoon tarragon
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Wash salmon fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  3. Crush the peppercorns using a mortar and pestle.
  4.  In a small bowl, blend crushed peppercorns with the other ingredients to make the sauce
  5.  Place salmon in an ovenproof dish, drizzle with the sauce and bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork; or you can broil the fish 4 to 6 minutes.
    Yield: 4 servings.