A seriously light and fresh supper. This is a perfect example of using simple good-quality ingredients and letting them do all the work.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 10–12 basil leaves
- 4 x 175 g salmon fillets, skin on
- 20 g chopped walnuts
- 300 g ripe tomatoes (heritage or different colours are great here)
- halved or cut into wedges
- 1 fennel bulb, finely shaved
- Core ingredients
- 30 g butter, softened
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tsp cider or white wine vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Mash the butter in a small bowl. Finely chop half the basil leaves and mix them into the butter with plenty of seasoning.
- Heat a little drizzle of oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the salmon, skin-side down, and fry for 5–6 minutes until golden and crisp. Turn over and cook for just a minute or 2 more, then add the basil butter and let it melt and foam around the salmon; spoon it over the top of the fillets. Add the walnuts and cook for a further minute or so.
- Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes and fennel in a large bowl with the garlic, vinegar and remaining basil leaves. Season well and add a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Serve the buttery salmon with the salad.