A take on Marry Me Chicken, this dish is the weeknight fish you cook for your future life partner. Perfectly seared salmon bathed in a creamy sun-dried tomato gravy is anchored by the familiar one-two punch of dried oregano and crushed red pepper. By cooking the fish mostly on the skin side, then gently poaching the flesh side in sauce, you get shattering skin yielding to plush salmon. Bottled clam juice, readily available at the grocery store, gives the creamy red sauce a seafood taste. Serve with crusty, fluffy Italian bread or your favorite pasta tossed with a dribble of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes.
Marry Me Salmon
By Eric Kim for New York Times Cooking
INGREDIENTS
Total Time – 30 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
2 salmon fillets, preferably skin-on (10 ounces total)- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup thinly sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 2 tablespoons oil from the jar
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus more to taste
- ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1(8-ounce) bottle clam juice (1 cup)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Step 1 – Pat the salmon dry and lightly sprinkle salt and pepper all over.
Step 2 – Heat a medium nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high, then add 1 tablespoon of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes.
Step 3 – Sear the salmon skin side down until the skin is browned and crisp, and the flesh is opaque about three-quarters of the way up, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat if the skin starts to burn. Transfer to a plate skin side up. (The fish will finish cooking in the sauce later.)
Step 4 – Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the skillet and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened considerably, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 5 – Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil to the skillet. Add the oregano and crushed red pepper, stirring for a few seconds to bloom them and open up their flavors. Add the tomato paste and stir frequently until a shade darker in color, about 3 minutes.
Step 6 – Add the clam juice and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the cream and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt, pepper, oregano and crushed red pepper as desired.
Step 7 – Return the salmon to the skillet flesh side down, without getting sauce on the crispy skin, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the salmon is cooked through, about 1 minute. It will continue to cook as it sits. To serve, top with basil leaves, if using.
