Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes, Cream, and Herbs
A Dinner You'll Make Again and Again and..
Now, I’m going to talk about another beloved country of mine – Italy. A while ago I made a spontaneous (and great) decision and went on a little journey with a friend of mine to the island of Procida, near Napoli. I call it spontaneous because we bought the tickets from Paris the night before our trip and found ourselves nicely tucked in the airbus early the next morning. It was mid-November, definitely not the time to swim. The island was empty of tourists, most of the places were closed, and the locals were harvesting their gardens selling it very cheap right on the streets. The sweetest ever oranges, tomatoes, aubergines, grapes, big bouquets of herbs… I thought I would stay and live at the cheesemongers for good. Italian people are generous, and the cheesemonger made me try everything that he had. I still remember the taste of the fresh “orata”, sea bream in Italian, grilled with little cherry tomatoes and basil. This recipe is my little bow to the memory of that spontaneous and wonderful trip.
INGREDIENTS:
For the Salmon:
🫒 1 tbsp olive oil
🧈 1 tbsp unsalted butter
🐟 4 salmon fillets, without skin
🧂 1 tsp Salt
⚫ 1/2 tsp Black pepper
🧄 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
🍅 150 g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
🌱 2 handfuls of baby spinach
🥛 120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream
🧀 30 g (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
🌿 Finely chopped herbs (such as basil or parsley)
Side:
Buttery Rice Recipe
🧈 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
🍚 1 cup (200 g) long-grain rice (such as basmati or jasmine)
💧 1 1/2 (350ml) cups water or chicken broth
🧂 1/2 tsp salt (adjust if using broth)
🍴 Kitchen utensils: a frying pan, a spatula, a cutting board and a knife, a cheese grater (or box grater), medium saucepan.
METHOD:
For the Salmon
1. Season the 4 salmon fillets on both sides with salt and black pepper.
2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
3. Place the salmon fillets in the pan, serving side down, and fry for about 4 minutes, or until crispy and caramelized. (Tip: A French chef once advised to fry the side you'll serve first for better presentation.)