Ingredients
Tomato butter sauce:
About 1/2 lb vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp freshly chopped basil
About 1/2 cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp of unsalted butter, diced
Salmon and Salad:
4 salmon filets, 5-6 oz each, skinned
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 heads baby gem lettuce
3 tbsp classic vinaigrette
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Tomato Butter Sauce:
Blend the tomatoes in a food processor with the vinegar, sugar and basil until smooth. Pass the puree through a sieve into a saucepan.
Cook over a moderate heat for about 10 minutes until reduced by half. Mix in the cream and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the butter over low heat until you have a smooth and glossy sauce. Check for seasoning.
Salmon and Salad:
Rub both sides of the fillets with 1 tbsp of olive oil and set aside.
Sauté briefly the cucumber, tomatoes, olives and parsley together in 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Season well and set aside.
Quarter the gem lettuces lengthways and cut out the core. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy-based non-stick frying pan then sauté the lettuces with some seasoning for about 2 minutes. Once the leaves start to wilt, toss them in 2 tbsp vinaigrette. Transfer them to a warm plate and set aside.
Heat a heavy based non-stick frying pan and when hot, add the salmon, skinned side down. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes. Season the fish as it cooks. Turn over and finish cooking the other side for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
To serve, reheat the salad and toss in the remaining vinaigrette. Arrange the salad into the middle of the serving plates and place the wilted lettuce on top. Rest the salmon on top and serve the sauce around.
