Pan-fried Salmon in a Cherry Tomato and Basil Sauce
A quick and easy pan-fried salmon in a delicious sauce of cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic and lemon.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
Method
Start by making the sauce. Halve a handful of the tomatoes, and leave the rest whole, then heat 4 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and add the garlic. Fry for 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant - don't allow the garlic to burn otherwise it will become bitter
Stir in the the tomatoes and allow to cook for a few minutes to soften and release their juices, then add the juice of half a lemon and the chopped basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper, turn off the heat and set aside.
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels, then in a separate frying pan heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over a medium-high and add the salmon skin side down, season the top of the salmon with a little salt and pepper and turn the heat down to medium. Leave to cook for about 4-5 minutes until its cooked through about 3/4 of the way.
If you look at the side of the salmon, you will be able to see it change color as it cooks through.
When nearly cooked through, turn the salmon over and cook on the top side for 1-2 minutes until cooked all the way through.
Tip: you can use a food thermometer if you're unsure if the salmon is cooked; if it reaches be 55C / 130F it's ready
Serve the salmon with the tomato sauce spooned over the top, and a few fresh basil leaves if using. I like to serve mine with mash or Jersey Royal potatoes when they are in season.
About Pan-fried Salmon in a Cherry Tomato and Basil Sauce
This is my go to dish when cooking salmon, it's light and fresh and - despite looking quite impressive - is really easy to make with minimal prep. Usually I make the sauce first then cook the salmon after; you can gently reheat the sauce after your salmon is cooked which gives it a couple of minutes to rest. I like to serve my salmon with a bowl of boiled baby potatoes tossed in butter and sprinkled with parsley, although outside of the summer months I might opt for creamy mash potato instead.
About the Tomato Sauce
For the tomato sauce it's important that you use good quality fresh tomatoes; bland tomatoes will make a bland sauce, I've also added a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten everything up, however, if your tomatoes are a little acidic you can leave it out or try adding a pinch of sugar to balance the flavour. You could also add a tablespoon of capers if you like them.
Pan Frying the Salmon
Salmon really benefits from being pat dried with some kitchen towels before frying, this helps the skin crisp up. If you have time you can sprinkle with a little salt about 10 minutes before cooking which will draw out more moisture, then pat dry again. I use a non-stick pan for salmon because it can be difficult to prevent the skin from sticking. If your pan isn't non-stick you need to get your oil to a shimmer, cook skin side down over a medium heat and wait for the salmon to release itself, however, an alternative is to fry the salmon on a strip of lightly oiled baking/parchment paper over a medium heat to prevent the salmon from sticking to the pan.
To cook the salmon, make sure your oil is hot then place in the pan skin side down over a medium heat, you can watch the edges of salmon to gauge how far through it has cooked. Once it reaches about 3/4 of the way through, flip the salmon and cook on the top for a couple of minutes until nicely browned. I like to flip the salmon back over, turn off the heat, and pop a lid on to rest it for a couple of minutes while I reheat my sauce which helps make sure the salmon is cooked through; this is particularly helpful for thicker fillets. If you have a temperature gauge you will want your salmon to reach around 55C/130F to avoid overcooking.
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