October on the mind, but August in the atmosphere.
Happy Tuesday, fellas! I’m starting autumnal recipe testing more thoroughly these next couple weeks, but I cannot deny the chokehold summer still has on the South. A tropical storm whizzed by in the Gulf this past weekend and dumped (and continues to dump) inches of rain upon my city. A welcome reprieve from the drought, for sure, but rather inconvenient for scrounging up motivation to Life.
If cooking feels blah due to heat, lack of inspiration, or the general ho-hum nature of your weekly rotation, this One Pot Caprese Marsala Salmon is sure to jazz up your table this week. Light, cozy, and supple, this beauty is. You may not consider salmon a contender for the classic Italian mozzarella-tomato-basil marriage, but trust me, it works. Salmon is meaty enough to complement the flavors, yet not so intense that a clash of wills churns up in your pan.
Fear not, Summer Souls. There’s plenty of sunny pickings left before we break out the sweaters and crank up the heater.
Caprese Police
…Might have a thing or two to say about pairing the sacred trinity to salmon, but this is the one instance I will encourage you to flee the fist of the law.
Pick up some thick salmon filets, unpackage, and lay plenty of paper towels overtop to dry the flesh. Dry salmon crisps much better. You can us this time to slice up your tomatoes, locate your skillet among its dusty back-of-cabinet comrades, and realize you’re out of garlic powder and must rush to the store to buy a bottle.
Been there, done that, sisters.
We’re making a simple flour dredge to coat the salmon for frying. On a plate, toss said flour with smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, Italian seasoning, and some salt and pepper.
Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. Working on filet at a time, press both sides of the salmon into the flour dredge, brushing it up the sides and over any parts that become marred by your fingers’ grips.
Sear the filets for 3-4 mintues per side, until nicely golden. Place onto a plate and set aside.
Next, throw in a couple pats of butter and some minced garlic, swirling until the butter melts and the garlic turns fragrant. Add your marsala wine and simmer, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to release those nice charred bits, until the liquid reduces.
Tip: I prefer sweet marsala myself, but if all you have is dry, that is fine. If you have an aversion to marsala in general, you can use a drier white wine instead.
Measure a bit of vegetable broth and heavy cream, along with a shake or two of salt and pepper. Simmer until slightly thickened. Slide the salmon back into the pan and baste the fish a few times with the liquid.
Now, layer your goodies. Start with mozzarella slabs all atop the fish, then thinly slice an heirloom tomato – any color, any size, all are good! – and lay overtop the cheese. Dump a metric fuckload of cherry tomatoes in the crevices and along the perimeter.
Tip: I indeed recommend a “metric” fuckload as opposed to a customary one. The latter never seems like enough of a fuckload for me.
Bake it all up until the cheese melts and bubbles a bit, and the cherry tomatoes begin to burst. I usually err on the shorter end since I don’t want my mozzarella to vanish into the meat.
Serve over rice, pasta, or potatoes, along with a hearty salad, garlic bread, and a glass of crisp white wine. Mmhmm!
Leftovers? Salmon meal preps great for up to 5 days. Storing it in the marsala cream sauce helps keep the fish flaky and moist!
Can’t find heirloom tomatoes? Use beefsteak or another large tomato variety.
Happy cooking, pals!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
A trip to Capri on your plate:
Hot Bacon BLT Caprese Pasta Salad
Creamy Garlic Caprese Pasta Salad
Marinated Tomato Caprese Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing
one pot caprese marsala salmon
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb salmon
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup marsala wine
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz ball mozzarella cheese, torn
- 1 large heirloom tomato, thinly sliced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- fresh basil, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Pat the salmon filets very dry with paper towels. On a plate or in a shallow bowl, toss together the flour, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working one filet at a time, dredge the salmon thoroughly in the flour mixture, shaking excess back onto the plate. Place each coated filet into the skillet. Sear 3-4 minutes per side until crispy. Move onto a plate and keep warm.
- Toss the butter and garlic into the same pan and swirl the butter with a wooden spoon until melted, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, scraping the bottom of the pan with your spoon to loosen charred crispy bits. Add the broth, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer 4-5 minutes longer until slightly thickened.
- Slide the salmon filets back into the pan. Arrange the torn mozzarella overtop, then the heirloom tomato slices. Sprinkle the cherry tomatoes all around the pan. Bake 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts and the tiny tomatoes start to burst.
- Serve over rice, potatoes, or pasta with lots of fresh basil.
