Simply switching from onions to shallots and simmering butter into the sauce adds a depth, richness, and mouthfeel that takes the flavors from happy-land to Valhalla—a land where much salmon is likely served!
For the Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 skinless-boneless salmon filets, 4-6 ounces each
- ½ cup thinly sliced basil leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup sliced chives
- 2 tablespoons of basic cure (recipe below)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Basil sprigs, for serving
Method
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle each filet with olive oil, then place in the hot pan, oil-side-down. Jiggle the pan as the filets sear, and cook, until well-browned and medium-rare or medium, about 3 to 4 minutes. For rare to medium-rare, turn the heat off, then turn the filets over and let stand three minutes. For medium to medium-well, turn the filet over and cook two minutes, then turn the heat off and let the filets stand three minutes.
For the Cure
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Method
- In a glass jar combine the sugar, salt and pepper; shake to combine.
- Sprinkle the basic cure and the herbs over both sides of all four filets gently press them into the salmon. Wrap in plastic and let stand at room temperature at least one hour before cooking.
For the Tomato Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large shallot, about 1-½ ounces, peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 14 ounces ripe heirloom tomatoes (about three medium tomatoes), seeded and cut into large dice
- 3 ounces cold butter sliced into 5 or 6 pats
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
- Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots until translucent and just soft, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the pan to cool until just warm.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and place the butter pats on top of the diced tomatoes. Turn the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally until all the ingredients are combined and the tomatoes and butter begin to “melt” into a saucy consistency. The tomatoes should not be fully cooked, which is part of the magic. Stir in the basil and chives and season with sea salt and pepper.
- To serve: Transfer the salmon to a plate and spoon over the tomato sauce. Garnish with a sprig of basil.
My love for this dish goes back years to when I was working with an Alsatian Chef at Sage’s Restaurant in Arlington Heights, Illinois. That was where I learned the difference between a shallot and an onion and how to finish sauces with butter. I thought of my mom and how she used to do a simple sauté of onions and tomatoes with some fresh herbs as a perfect sauce or dressing for a variety of animal proteins. My favorite was always fish!