SALMON WITH ROASTED TOMATOES

I made this dish for a small dinner party recently and it was so good, I knew I had to bring it to the blog. Salmon is one of those proteins that you never get tired of and generally no matter how it’s prepared it’s like tasting it for the first time. It’s also great because you can use any type and/or cut of salmon you have on hand and you could even swap out the salmon for another protein.

Cherry tomatoes are available all year round, and roasting them for a dish like this or for a pasta sauce really helps bring out their flavor. When combined, a perfect pan seared salmon and a perfect roasted tomato create a perfectly fabulous meal.

Salmon w. Roasted Tomatoes

your desired cut of fresh salmon, skin on

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced  

1 pint of roasted tomatoes, rinsed & cut in half 

4-6 sprigs of thyme 

1/2 onion, peeled and thinly sliced 

1/2 bunch parsley, rinsed & chopped 

1 c. stock or water 

1 stick of cold butter 

zest of 1 whole lemon + juice 

oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Remove raw salmon from any packaging & pat dry. Season with your desired amounts of salt & pepper. 

Roasted Tomato Sauce: 

Rinse cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Place cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. Toss and place in the oven and allow the tomatoes to roast for about 8- 10 minutes. When the cherry tomatoes are soft and brown, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. 

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and sauté sliced onions and garlic until soft, about 6 minutes. Next add stock and simmer until reduced by half. Once reduced by half, add in 1 stick of cold butter and gently swirl the butter into the stock until all the butter is melted and the sauce begins to come together. (NOTE: The butter must be ice cold for this process ) Once the butter is melted, add in roasted tomatoes, thyme, parsley, lemon zest and season with your desired amounts of salt and pepper to taste.  Lastly, add in your desired amount of lemon juice.

Salmon: 

In an oven safe skillet, heat a small amount of oil over a medium-high flame and when hot, place salmon skin side down and sear, about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, flip salmon skin side up and place skillet in the oven. Roast salmon for another 6-8 minutes in the oven or until your desired internal temperature is achieved. Remove salmon from the oven and place on a plate or serving dish. Spoon roasted tomato sauce over salmon, serve immediately and eat fabulously !