In the pantheon of amazingly quick and easy things to cook, there is the salmon filet. This lovely rosy fish cooks in all of 6 minutes depending on how pink you like it. And 6 ounces is a gracious serving. We can have the discussion about farmed vs. wild salmon. But I’ll leave that to the wonderful folks at The Monterey Aquarium and their www.seafoodwatch.org. There you’ll find a whole list of Salmon that these dedicated marine biologists deem either good or bad based on a number of criteria. When I extolled the virtues of Norwegian Farmed Salmon, I practically had my head handed to me. Turns out there is perfect farmed Salmon from Norway but it’s very specific to one salmon farming operation. If you care about sustainability and we all should, I’d pay attention to Seafood Org’s suggestions.
The best salmon I made most recently had skin on one side. It ended up being a crispy delight and a perfect complement to the sweet softness of the fish. This time I bought a side of salmon and was disappointed to
see it was skinless when I slipped it out of its package. If you can, try this recipe with salmon filets with the skin attached. Not that there is anything at all wrong with this quick recipe I put together with my skinless filets. It’s very easy. I first sautéed the salmon and then added to a second skillet where I’d sautéed a tablespoon of capers cured in salt and a colorful mix of Cherry Tomatoes. The whole thing was delicious—salty and sweet, luscious and satisfying. And of course, dead simple. The parsley-topped addition to the plate was a simple smashed potato. To keep the dish under 30 minutes, I boiled small Yukon Gold potatoes first thing. In about 20 minutes they were ready to go into melted butter in a skillet where they became ‘smashed potatoes’. For those of you whose taste does not run to capers or even tomatoes, I’ve also posted past salmon recipes for your perusal. Here is the recipe for Salmon Filets with Cherry Tomatoes and Capers.
Salmon Filets with Cherry Tomatoes and Capers
A wonderful way to pair the rich sweetness of salmon with a tomato caper accompaniment that is its perfect accompaniment
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 small Yukon Gold potatoes per person
- 1-6 oz Salmon filet, preferably with skin on, per person
- 1 tbsp. Capers in salt, per person
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes per person
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil per portion
- Butter for the smashed potatoes.
- Parsley for garnish, optional
Directions
- Step 1 Put the potatoes in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes for 20 minutes
- Step 2 In a skillet large enough to fit all the salmon filets, add 1 tbsp Olive Oil per filet and heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the salmon filets, skin side down, and cook until you hear a crackling sound, about 3 minutes.
- Step 3 Turn the salmon filets over and cook until the salmon is just golden about two minutes. Remove the filets from the skillet and set aside. Do not empty skillet.
- Step 4 Add the capers and the cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook until the tomato skins are just about to pop. Add the salmon to the caper tomato mixture and cook another 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Step 5 In a skillet add two tbsp. unsalted butter. Add potatoes one at a time and use a spatula to flatten them in the skillet. Continue until all potatoes are ‘smashed’. Cook until potatoes are well browned.
- Step 6 Arrange the salmon filets and tomato caper mixture on plates. Add smashed potatoes and serve.
