October 29, 2018

Broiled Salmon with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

This Broiled Salmon with Blistered Tomatoes, by Chef Barton Seaver, is simple to make, and incredibly delicious.

“Farmed seafood is an essential part of healthy diets and a healthy planet. Participating in the resilience of our communities and ecosystems is as easy as cooking delicious seafood at home. This is a recipe I created in my first book using arctic char, it works great with farm raised salmon too,” said Chef Barton.

Chef Barton Seaver – Chef, Author, and Founder Coastal Culinary Academy.

Below, in his words, is his Broiled Salmon with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes:

“Too much olive oil, in a heavy cast iron pan, couple of cloves of garlic smashed, let them brown up. Throw in a pint or two of cherry tomatoes, soon as they begin to blister and their juices pop. Put a piece of salmon on top, skin side up mind you. Put the whole thing under the broiler and 8 minutes later you have a perfectly emulsified, beautiful, olive-oil rich garlic scented, tomato sweet sauce underneath. With this beautiful piece of crispy skin moist salmon that is giving all of its juices and deliciousness into the tomato sauce just put a piece of crusty bread next to that and …wow!”

Broiled salmon with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

Step one: 3 salmon fillets, seasoned with black pepper and 3 slices of a lemons

Step two: 1 cup Greek olive oil, set to heat, add the garlic. When it is hot enough, sear the salmon skins quickly in the piping hot oil. Remove immediately and set aside for a minute.

Step three: Throw the 3 cups cherry tomatoes into the hot oil, cover quickly to avoid the sizzles and pops of the bursting tomatoes. Remove from the heat, remove the lid and place the salmon (skin side up) on the tomatoes. Place the lemon slices in the hot mix. Replace on the heat, close the lid and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, let it rest a minute or so. Plate and finish with salt.

I have altered this recipe just a bit because I love a well-seasoned, crispy salmon skin. BC farm-raised salmon, I have found, is one of the best fish to use in most cuisines.

Tweak it to serve for these cuisines, with these sides:

Italian – add 1 cup basil leaves after removing from the stove. Goes well with tagliatelle, arugula salad with bocconcini, and a glass of chianti.

French – Add ½ cup chopped tarragon. Goes well with a green salad, crusty baguette, and a robust red wine.

Chinese – Up the garlic. Goes well with sticky rice, wilted Bok Choy in soy sauce, and hot green tea.

Indian-pairings – Add some toasted ground cumin. Goes well with basmati rice, split peas dal, apple chutney, and a cup of hot chai tea.

Barton Seaver is the founder and chief education officer at the Coastal Culinary Academy. His work as a chef, sustainability advocate, public health educator, and prolific writer has given him technical expertise in all aspects of seafood production. His experience has also helped him develop personal relationships within the industry and allowed him to acquire systemic knowledge of all of the processes by which a fish in water becomes seafood on a plate. Seaver is an internationally recognized speaker on the topic of seafood and the author of seven books. His most recent book, American Seafood: Heritage, Culture & Cookery from Sea to Shining Sea, is a guide to more than 500 species and a history of one of our country’s iconic industries.