Tomato and herb seared salmon

by Shaun
(Cornwall U.K)

The Tomato and herb Salmon before Cooking.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

salmon steaks (skin on preferably).
2 garlic cloves small to medium depends on personal taste.
Fresh Sage 3 large leaves per steak.
Tomatoe puree.
Sea Salt 1/2 tsp per Steak.
cracked black pepper 1/2 tsp pers Steak.
lemon juice (for squeezing over salmon when plated up.

Method:

Firstly prepare your fresh herbs and garlic by removing any stalk from the sage and finely chopping it and then finely chop the garlic. Mix the garlic and Sage with the cracked black pepper.

Ensure the salmon is properly de-scaled and washed in very cold water, use an incredibly sharp knife to carefully slice diagonals across the skin aprox 1 and half inches appart all the way down trying to make the cuts deep enough to be able to stuff our mixture into.

Divide the herb mixture into 2 and proceed with stuffing it into the sliced salmon skin and then take a clean teaspoon and use the back of it to completely fill the slices further with the tomato puree, this should hold the herbs inside as well as provide extra flavour and a richness to any juices left in the pan. Take the Sea salt and sprinkle over the prepared salmon.

If one is available use a non stick flat frying pan, add a tablespoon of Olive oil. Heat on a medium heat untill the oil is obviously hot and add both steaks skin side down, they should be sizzling but not so hot they cook too quickly! Cook untill the salmon turns opaque on top (the none skin side) checking that the skin side is not catching/burning occasionally (a darker coloured skin side is not a problem as it crisps up and is delicous but some ppl prefer to remove it prior to eating), at the opaque stage we can now turn the salmon over carefully and cook for a further minute, The salmon should now be fully cooked and just flaky. Plate up the salmon and pour any residual liquid over the Steaks, squeeze of lemon if desired. Rich.

With this I serve fresh Peas and crushed new potatoes with non-salted butter, pepper and slightly minted with a fresh parsley sauce.

I have included a photo of the Salmon prepared before cooking but I can't think what could possibly have happened to it after cooking so theres no photo of it cooked!! Sorry !!