Lemon Cream Sauce

This sauce was featured with the Salmon Stuffed Shells with Lemon Cream Sauce  but it's so versatile that I wanted to post it separately.  In this version, you'll cook it, beginning to end, on the stove top. In the recipe above, the sauce was poured over the pasta and it went back in the oven.
Think of using it to replace hollandaise sauce on asparagus, or as a dipping sauce with artichokes.

Before you make this recipe here's a reminder of how to avoid breaking the sauce.  Cream sauce can "break," or appear curdled, if the milk proteins separate and coagulate or turn grainy. There are a few things that will cause dairy to break, high heat, low fat content and acid (in this case, lemon juice).

Remember to keep the heat low to medium and keep it moving.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Level: Average to difficult
Time: 15 minutes



Ingredients:
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced (approx 1 1/2 tbsp)
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a small pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until translucent (approx 3 minutes). Add lemon zest and cook until just fragrant. Add cream. Stir frequently and cook until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.
The sauce may start to boil, if so, turn down the heat to a simmer before you add lemon juice. When it's hot but not boiling, add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.