Gaze at that orange glow of succulent salmon with crisp skin, all in a pool of sunshine-y buttery corn sauce with fancy salmon roe dolloped on top.

I didn’t enjoy it at an upscale restaurant.

Nope, I actually made that dish at home.

Not to brag, but this dish easily looks and tastes like one that would be $40 at a restaurant. However, I made it for probably less than half that cost per person.

What’s more, “Pan-Roasted Salmon with Seared Corn Sauce” is a looker of a dish that actually doesn’t require hours of prepping and primping.

The recipe is from “The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood” (Abrams Books, 2023), of which I received a review copy.

Written by chef-restaurateur John Ash, it features more than 250 recipes from Hog Island Oyster Co., the premier sustainable bivalve producer in Tomales Bay, as well as from other chefs and restaurants who are passionate about its shellfish.

Hog Island Farm was founded in 1893 by two marine biologists, John Finger and Michael Watchorn, who later recruited Terry Sawyer, a former aquarist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. At a time when most oysters were harvested from the wild, they helped pioneer the hatchery method. Hog Island now boasts two shellfish farms, more than 300 employees, and five Bay Area restaurants of its own.

Their oysters are so good that I don’t add any mignonette or hot sauce to them in order to enjoy their pristine taste as is on the half shell.

You’ll find plenty of recipes for oysters and a whole lot more in this book. There’s everything from “Oyster Sangrita Shooters,” “Curried Oyster Soup,” and “Geoduck Fritters” to “Sablefish Coconut Curry with Vermicelli,” “Grilled Swordfish with Green Olives and Oranges,” and “Crab in Wine and Vermouth.”

The sauce for this salmon dish is just corn kernels cooked in butter with chopped onion, heavy cream, stock, and a dash of vermouth that gets blitzed until smooth in a blender. Press it through a sieve, and keep it warm until ready to serve.

Then, it’s just a matter of cooking the salmon fillets in a nonstick skillet, first skin-side down, then flipped over to finish cooking.

Arrange the fish on plates, spoon sauce around, top with more corn kernels sauteed in butter, salmon roe, and fresh herbs such as tarragon, basil or chervil.

It makes for a stunning dish. The sauce is the essence of sweet summer corn. The richness of the cream in it holds up well to the equally rich fish. The salmon roe is optional, but it’s worth seeking out to add that extra panache plus pops of salinity like a flourish of sea salt would do.

You could even sear the corn kernels and make the sauce ahead of time. When it’s time to serve, just rewarm them, and cook the salmon fillets in all of about 6 minutes.

That makes it a great dish for stress-free summer entertaining, one that’s sure to win the admiration of any guest lucky enough to enjoy it.

Pan-Roasted Salmon with Seared Corn Sauce

(Serves 4)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 large ears)

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon chipotle or other pure chile powder, or to taste

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or shrimp stock

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Four (6-ounce) salmon fillets, pin bones removed

Fresh herb sprigs, such as basil, tarragon, or chervil

2 tablespoons rinsed salmon roe (optional)

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup of the corn kernels and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown on the edges. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the corn to a bowl. Add the onion, the remaining 2 cups corn, and the chile powder to the pan and cook until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, cream, and sherry (if using), and continue to cook over medium heat until the mixture just begins to thicken and the vegetables are very soft, about 6 minutes.

Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and puree until very smooth. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a large spoon. Discard the solids and return the sauce to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the sauce aside and cover to keep warm.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Season the salmon generously with salt and pepper. Place the salmon skin side down in the pan. Cook until the skin is lightly browned and beginning to crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for 2 minutes.

Place the salmon on warm plates. Spoon the warm sauce around and top with reserved browned kernels. Garnish with herb sprigs and salmon roe (if using).

Note: Any firm white fish can be substituted for the salmon. This sauce would be wonderful for any white meat like pork or chicken, too.

From “The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood” by John Ash

Another John Ash Corn-Inspired Recipe to Enjoy: Grilled Lime Chicken with Creamed Corn