Salmon Braised with Tomato and Potato Sauce

Anticipating preparation of our 2^nd salmon dinner in 3 days and displeased with our 1st, a disappointing broiled affair; I was going to try my go-to preparation for white-fleshed fish: braised with potatoes and leeks (You know, I should post that too.) but with salmon. It is the height of summer and we’ve been enjoying copious tomatoes and bushes of basil, so I thought I’d make a tomato salad as a side. Then it hit me! Unlike milder white-fleshed fish, salmon can stand up to more assertive Mediterranean-type flavors. I could save myself some work by trying this.

½ lb sockeye salmon filet

2 medium red skinned potatoes, sliced thinly

½ cup grape tomatoes, halved or 1 large tomato, cut into medium-sized chunks.

½ onion, sliced into half moons

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 ½ tsp capers, rinsed and chopped

2 large stems of basil

sprinkle of hot pepper flakes

¼ cup vodka

½ cup water

small handful basil leaves chiffonade

small handful green onion chiffonade

s & p

garlic powder

olive oil

Coat the bottom of a large nonstick frying pan with olive oil and lay in the potato slices in a single layer if possible. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat before adding the onion and seasoning again.  The goal is to achieve a nice golden brown color on at least one of the sides of each potato slice.

When you have reached this goal, add the tomatoes. Sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute before adding garlic, capers, basil stems (bruise before adding by laying it on your cutting board and hitting it with the back of your knife or by bunching it up between your hands), pepper flakes, vodka, water, and more salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Season the salmon with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Clear a space in the middle of the frying pan and nestle the salmon in it. Pile some of the vegetables on top of the fish.  Cover and continue to simmer until fish is cooked. That is, it breaks into large juicy flakes and the juices are clear, not cloudy.  My ½ lb filet took 15 – 20 minutes to reach this point. Be careful not to overcook this delicious fish.  You may find you need to add more water (or vodka) upon putting the fish into the pan, or at some point during its cooking. I would say that the level of liquid should reach ¼ - ½ up the sides of the ingredients in the pan to cook the fish and to create a tasty sauce.

You can remove the basil stem now, but the longer it's in there, the more flavor it imparts. Top with chiffonade of basil and green onion.

This was such a hit, but a few pieces of potato and tomato were leftover. My husband ate them the next day for breakfast cooked with sunny-side up eggs. There you go: 2 recipes for the price of one.