Sautéed Salmon With Leeks and Tomatoes

By Pierre Franey

Updated February 17, 2016

  • Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(1,761)
Comments
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Here is a fresh and simple way to prepare salmon that is ready in about 20 minutes. Most of that time will be spent preparing the vegetables. You do have to blanch, core and chop the tomatoes, but that is quick work. (We won't tell if you use the canned, diced sort instead. Just drain them first.) Once that's done, sauté the fish and set aside. Throw tomatoes, leeks, lemon juice and freshly ground pepper into the pan and sauté for a quick minute. Spoon over the fish and serve.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 4 skinless, boneless salmon fillets, about 1 ½ pounds, at room temperature

  • Salt to taste

  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

  • 1 leek, well trimmed

  • 2 or 3 red ripe tomatoes, about 1 ½ pounds

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or basil

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

7 grams carbs; 94 milligrams cholesterol; 475 calories; 14 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 33 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 671 milligrams sodium; 36 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If there are any bones in the salmon, pull them out with tweezers and discard. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Trim off the stem ends of the leek. Cut the leek lengthwise into thin slices. Finely chop the leek. There should be about ⅓ cup.

  3. Step 3

    Drop the tomatoes into boiling water and let stand 9 to 12 seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Peel and remove the cores. Cut the flesh of the tomatoes into quarter-inch cubes. There should be about 1 ¼ cups.

  5. Step 5

    Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over moderately high heat and add the salmon pieces skinned side up. Cook 2 minutes and then turn the pieces. If you want the salmon medium rare, cook the fish 2 minutes longer. Transfer the fish to a warm platter.

  6. Step 6

    Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Add the tomatoes and leek, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Cook about 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the salmon and sprinkle with the coriander or basil.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,761 user ratings
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Comments

SRSM

I use frozen copper river from Costco. "Fresh" salmon bought in most places is one to five weeks old. Frozen is flash frozen on factory ships when caught and I find it far superior.

SonomaSMB

This is an absolute French delight. It reminds me of a beautiful meal I had in Paris with a view of Notre Dame in the early 1990's.

I'm not a fan of torturing tomatoes, so I don't blanch, peel and seed. There's nothing wrong with a whole tomato, diced finely. And with the addition of leeks, it's heaven.

For those who find this boring, just move along to a spice bomb recipe. This is classic and fabulous.

Steve Martin

Fantastic. Try with Blitva - the Swiss chard/garlic/potato dish traditionally served with fish on the Dalmatian coast, and very easy to make. A very healthy and delicious combination.

http://www.food.com/recipe/blitva-croatian-swiss-chard-dish-144344

Debra

A great dish! First day back at work after this crazy blizzard, this dish was simple yet elegant! To make the dish even simpler, I halved about 20 grape tomatoes and cooked them with sliced scallions and lotsa black pepper next to the salmon. No need to add more oil. The scallion-tomato mixture simmered beautifuly in salmon and tomato juices. It was heavens!

Elaine

I started the salmon, skin side down, in a cold pan and turned heat to medium-high. Turned after 5 minutes to finish. Plated skin side up to preserve crispy skin. Absolutely perfect dish.

Conor

I’ve made this dish many, many times. Following the instructions as written will yield a wonderful meal. Recently I’ve been adding chili flakes and capers, and it does elevate the dish. Boiled potatoes go well with it.

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