"Ask your fishmonger for filets from the head end or middle of the fish. They ought to be fairly even in thickness."
Ingredients:
4 8-oz salmon filets, skin on
1 cup peeled whole shallots
2 fennel bulbs, split, trimmed and sliced a quarter-inch thick
1 large beefsteak tomato, skinned and cut in julienne strips
4 oz sherry vinegar
4 oz cream sherry
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
4 oz sweet butter
Cooking oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
1. Toss shallots with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast, covered, until soft and caramelized. Reserve with juice.
2. Treat fennel the same way. except roast uncovered on a sheet tray or cookie sheet. Reserve.
3. Combine sherry vinegar, cream sherry, stock and any juices from the vegetables in a sauce pan. Reduce by half. Add shallots and simmer until thick.
4. Heat a skillet large enough to cook the salmon filets with room to spare, or use two pans.
5. Pat salmon dry, season well with salt and pepper on both sides.
6. Heat cooking oil in skillet until it shimmers, carefully add salmon, skin side down. Avoid moving the filets once you set them down.
7. Cook 3 minutes on high, then place the pan in a 400-degree oven, uncovered. Do not turn salmon. Roast 4 minutes for medium rare, longer as desired.
8. Warm the fennel and tomatoes, spread on a platter.
9. Bring shallot-vinegar-sherry-stock mixture to a boil, then turn off heat and add butter to emulsify. Check seasoning, adjust with more vinegar or butter to taste.
10. Slide a spatula under salmon filets, turn each onto a hand towel to blot, and place skin side up on top of the fennel-tomato mixture.
11. Surround with shallots, drizzle with olive oil. Serve.