one skillet blistered tomato basil marsala salmon
Basically I bought more cherry tomatoes because they were BOGO again and Publix was out of peaches.
This has been a useless narrative brought to you by a very disgruntled peach-seeking customer.
No, I’m really not angry, but I was excited after a trip to another Publix on Sunday evening and observing a pile of big ole peaches in a bin that looked more like the ones I adored so much last year. Inspired me to reshare my Brown Sugar Peaches and Cream Puffs on Instagram Monday. Alas, I passed on the fat booty fruits and decided that I’d seek them out on my grocery run the following day.
And there were none.
Luckily, my pessimistic foresight allowed me to think of another recipe I’d want to do if the peaches were a no-go, and this was said recipe. I guess cherry tomatoes will continue to be my love until I can embrace my culinary polyamory with proper gusto. Not that I’m really that upset. Tomatoes have been bomb this year.
I’ve been pining for salmon lately and a half-full bottle of marsala beckoned to me. I love cooking with that deep auburn wine, it adds a bite and a sweetness to anything and I think it pairs especially well with robust, blackened salmon. Then, a mix of pan-blistered tomatoes swimming in the buttery sauce and some fresh tomatoes tossed in good olive oil completes the dish.
Oh yeah, and the basil. Still on my new-plant-a-week kick because it’s too damn sultry here for anything to grow properly. Not like hair-toss sultry, like I’m-going-to-shrivel-into-a-puddle sultry. No good.
This salmon, however? Good. Great. Fabulous. 10/10. Make it tomorrow. Eat it the next day. Store some for later. Yeaaaaah.
No Slackening on the Blackening
I’ve become rather prolific at blackening salmon, and have my own favorite seasoning blend that I use for all sorts of things. Usually, salmon and shrimp. It’s a mix of smoked paprika, dried oregano, garlic and onion powders, cayenne, black pepper, and sea salt.
First, pat those salmons very dry. Sticky, wet salmon will glue itself to your skillet and also won’t blacken too well. I usually cut up my filets, throw some paper towels over them, and piddle around prepping everything else for the meal so the fish has a chance to get good and dry.
Rub the salmon with the seasonings. Heat up a couple tablespoons of olive oil over a nice hot skillet, then set those fishes in to fry. 3-4 minutes per side does the trick. Once it’s properly cooked, the salmon will release easily from the skillet.
Holla For Marsala
Move the fish to a plate and continue with your creamy marsala sauce.
Melt a couple pats of butter and stir in garlic and chopped oregano. You can use thyme, too (can’t we all use thyme?) but I find it a pain in my fucking ass to chop those little weenie leaves.
Dump in your marsala and simmer until reduced. I use a sweet marsala wine, but I’d imagine a dry one would be okay too, depending on your tastebuds’ preference. I think a sweet variant goes well with the acidity of the tomatoes.
Swirl in some vegetable broth, coconut milk or heavy cream, and a bunch of those cute little maters. Heat until the tomatoes begin to pop. Then slide those salmons into the sauce, baste a few times if you please, just to warm the filets through.
For a little finishing touch, I like to toss some fresh tomatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper, to sprinkle on top. This isn’t totally necessary but adds a nice little fresh somethin-somethin to the warm platter.
Of course, no tomato basil dish would be complete without basil. I usually save it as a garnish but you can also chop some up and mix with the fresh tomatoes or stir a handful into the skillet before adding the salmon back into the pan.
This dish is rad with some orzo or rice, and a big hunk of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. That’s how I chose to serve this shit with my lunch the day I made it. I usually make a side salad too just for some greens. We like greens here.
Pretty, easy, pretty easy. Great as leftovers or meal prep. Better served to family and friends. Enjoy, hos!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Whip out that skillet for these dope dishes:
One Skillet Creamy Lemon Butter Salmon Piccata
One Skillet Lemon White Wine Shrimp and Orzo
One Skillet Thai Basil Coconut Curry Salmon
one skillet blistered tomato basil marsala salmon
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb salmon
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sweet marsala wine
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth, or water
- 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk, or heavy cream
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved if large
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Pat the salmon very dry and slice into 4-6 oz filets. Toss together the smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Rub the mixture all over the salmon to coat.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon skin-side down and sear 4 minutes, then flip and sear an additional 3-4 minutes until opaque and crisp. Move to a plate.
- In the same skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the garlic and oregano for 30-60 seconds until fragrant, then pour in the marsala wine. Simmer until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the broth, coconut milk/heavy cream, and 1 1/2 cups of the tomatoes. Heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.I
- Nestle the salmon back into the skillet to warm through.
- In a small bowl, toss the remaining tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange on top of the warm salmon and garnish with fresh basil.
