Fillet Mignon of the Sea: Salmon with Tomatoes, Shallots, and Thyme

If tuna is the chicken of the sea, then salmon is, in my opinion, the fillet mignon of the sea.  I heart me some salmon.  I love seafood in general, but I have a soft spot for fresh, nicely prepared salmon.  We grill it, we poach it, we bake it, we pan-fry it.  I'm always on the lookout for good salmon recipes, but there are surprisingly few of them out there.  When I found this one (and modified it to our liking), it became a go-to meal.

During an average week, Nick and I eat seafood (mostly salmon and tilapia, but also shrimp, scallops, cod, and haddock) at least twice a week.  This summer, this dish has been on the menu virtually every single week.  It is scrumptious and SO EASY.  It can be prepped for the oven in the morning, refrigerated all day, and then baked half an hour before dinner time.  There is also no clean-up, which Nick (who does the bulk of our dishes) really appreciates.


I pair it with a simple green salad for a tasty, nutritious, easy meal.  We even managed to get Kate to eat a small portion.  :)

SALMON WITH TOMATOES, SHALLOTS, AND THYME

• 1 lb salmon fillets (I use skin-on* for extra omega 3's, but you can use skinless)
• salt and pepper
• olive oil (for drizzling)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbs dried thyme
• 1 tsp Kosher salt

Tear off a very large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on the foil.  Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a small amount of olive oil.  In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, shallots, lemon juice, thyme, and salt.  Stir to combine, then layer on top of the salmon.  Seal the foil completely, place on a baking sheet for stability (and to catch any leaks), and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.  Serve salmon with tomatoes, shallots, and a liberal amount of the juice.  (I serve on plates with tall edges so each serving can get about 1/4 cup of juice.)

*If you choose to use fillets with skin, I recommend removing the skin before you serve.  Although you can eat salmon skin if you want, I don't like it.)

(Serves 4)

Fully cooked and still in the foil.  So delicious!