Provencal Salmon with Tomato Basil Sauce

I found this recipe on the Wolfgang Puck website. You can prepare the sauce hours prior or even the night before to save you time. The sauce reminds me of bruschetta sauce. You can use this sauce on chicken or shrimp as well.

Ingredients

Sauce

• 4 large, firm, ripe organic tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 bunch fresh organic basil leaves, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
• Grated zest of 1/2 organic lemon
• ¹/₂ CUP extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons TABLESPOON sherry wine vinegar
• 1 TABLESPOON minced fresh organic chives
• 1 TABLESPOON minced fresh organic tarragon
• About 1 tsp. Kosher Salt and 1/2 tsp. fine ground black pepper
• Cayenne pepper (sprinkle about 1/2 tsp.)

Salmon

• 6 pieces fresh salmon fillet, about 6 ounces each, preferably wild-caught from Alaska
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 small sprigs fresh organic basil, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the sauce several hours or the night before. In a nonreactive mixing bowl, stir together the chopped tomatoes, shallots, basil, lemon zest, olive oil, vinegar, chives, and tarragon. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a little cayenne. Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature to marinate for several hours or overnight (if your kitchen is very hot, refrigerate.)
2. About 1/2 hour before serving time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil the foil with olive oil. When the oven is hot, switch it to its broiler function. Brush the salmon fillets with olive oil, season them with salt and pepper, and arrange them on a baking sheet. Place the salmon under the broiler about 2 inches from the flame and cook until done the top is very lightly browned and the flesh is still slightly pink in the center, 7 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, taste the sauce and, if necessary, adjust the seasonings to taste. We like our salmon a little more done, so we broiled it for about 15 minutes to get the top a little browned.
3. Spoon a generous amount of the sauce onto the middle of each of 6 heated serving plates. Place the salmon fillets on top of the sauce. Optional: Top each fillet with a basil sprig. Serve immediately, passing any remaining sauce separately. Serve on top of your favorite cous cous, cauliflower rice, or mashed potatoes.

Inspired by:

http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/recipes/view/56011/Provencal-Salmon-with-Tomato-Basil-Sauce