Description
Ina Garten’s salmon with melting tomatoes brings Mediterranean flavors to dinner tables with elegant simplicity. Hearty fish and juicy tomatoes create a perfect summer meal seasoned with herbs that complement each other beautifully. Home cooks will enjoy this quick and delicious dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (2 lbs/907 g) salmon fillet, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 cups (1 pint/473 ml) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved through the stem
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion (such as Vidalia)
- 1.5 tbsps balsamic vinegar
- 1.5 tbsps julienned fresh basil leaves
- olive oil (good quality)
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Ignite the oven to a searing 425°F (220°C), establishing the perfect roasting environment.
- Tomato Sauce Creation: In a sauté pan, cascade olive oil and gently sauté onions until translucent. Introduce minced garlic, allowing its fragrance to permeate. Incorporate halved tomatoes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Simmer until the sauce condenses and thickens, stirring intermittently.
- Flavor Enhancement: Deglaze the tomato mixture with balsamic vinegar, folding in fresh basil leaves. Set aside to allow flavors to intertwine and develop complexity.
- Salmon Searing: Heat a cast-iron pan until blazing hot. Coat salmon with olive oil and season aggressively with salt and pepper. Place fish skin-side up, creating a golden-brown crust without disruption.
- Roasting Technique: Flip salmon with precision, then transfer the entire pan to the preheated oven. Roast for 8 minutes, allowing gentle cooking without complete doneness.
- Resting and Serving: Remove salmon from oven, transfer to a serving platter, and tent with foil for 5 minutes. Warm the tomato mixture, adjusting seasoning. Plate salmon alongside the vibrant tomato sauce, offering a choice of temperature presentation.
Notes
- Sizzle Surface Selection: Use a cast-iron skillet for perfect salmon sear, ensuring high heat and even cooking surface.
- Temperature Control: Watch salmon closely during roasting to prevent overcooking, aiming for medium-rare with a slightly pink center.
- Resting Technique: Allow salmon to rest under foil for 5 minutes, enabling residual heat to gently finish cooking without drying out the fish.
- Flavor Layering: Balsamic vinegar and fresh basil transform simple tomato sauce into a vibrant, complex accompaniment that elevates the entire dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg