Baked Salmon With Brown-Buttered Tomatoes & Basil

                                Baked Salmon With Brown-Buttered Tomatoes & Basil 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds salmon fillet (skin on or off)
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 5 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 tablespoon brown or black mustard seeds (see author note)
  
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  
• ¹/₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  
• 1 to 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  
• flaky sea salt, for finishing
  
• Crusty bread, pasta, or rice, for serving

 

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
2. On a quarter sheet pan or baking dish, place salmon skin-side down. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and mustard seeds. Cook, gently swirling the pan, until the butter is nutty and browned and the seeds are fragrant and toasted, 3 to 4 minutes, lowering heat if needed. If using black mustard seeds, they will begin to pop once they're fully bloomed. Add red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes (to taste), and cherry tomatoes (dry them well if freshly washed; otherwise the hot butter will splatter!). Season with a few big pinches of salt. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes have started to burst and release their juices. Gently smash them to help them on their way (the back of a metal spatula or potato masher works well).
4. Pour the brown-buttered tomatoes over the salmon, smearing the butter and mustard seeds evenly over the salmon’s flesh. Bake until just-cooked through and the flesh flakes, about 15 minutes (or an instant-read thermometer reads 120 degrees in the thickest part).
5. Let cool for a few minutes, then shower the salmon with the basil. To serve, break the salmon into large pieces, and divide across plates with the brown-buttered tomatoes. Season with a few pinches of flaky sea salt.

Corn & Clam Pasta With Tomatoes

                                              Charred Corn & Clam Pasta With Tomatoes 

 

 

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 ounces ounces dried linguine, spaghetti, bucatini, or other thin, long pasta (about half of a standard 16-ounce package—you can eyeball this amount)
  
• Kosher salt
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pasta
  
• 2 ears of corn, kernels removed from the cobs (about 2 cups)
  
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
  
• 2 scallions, light green and white parts only, sliced and divided
  
• ¹/₂ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more as desired
  
• 3 pounds littleneck clams (about 24 to 30 clams), cleaned very well to remove grit (see author notes)
  
• ¹/₂ cup dry white wine
  
• 2 cups baby arugula
  
• ¹/₂ cup fresh basil, mint, or parsley leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped or torn
  
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)

 

Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until almost al dente, about 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain in a colander in the sink and toss with olive oil so the noodles don’t stick together. 
   
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or similar deep pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the corn, season with salt, and spread out in an even layer, then cook untouched for 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn becomes a vibrant yellow and starts to brown, 4 to 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and white parts of the scallion, season with salt and red-pepper flakes, and stir to combine; cook until the tomato skins start to blister, 3 to 4 minutes more.
3. Add the clams and white wine, cover, and cook until the clams open, 6 to 8 minutes more (larger clams might take longer), shaking the pan occasionally. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain an active simmer.
4. Turn down the heat to low, then add the pasta, tossing to coat with the liquid and cooking until al dente, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the arugula, letting it wilt, and remove any unopened clams. When you’re ready to eat, top with basil and green scallion parts and serve with lemon wedges.