Slow-Roasted Salmon With Fresh Chile-Tomato Sauce

A fresh sauce made with tomatoes, red onion and green chiles flavors this whole side of salmon, shot with the side of Cool Crunchy Cucumbers. Prop styling by Rebecca Buenik.

By Ben MimsCooking Columnist

Feb. 6, 2020 11:40 AM PT

Tomatoes, red onion and serrano chile blend together for a quick, raw sauce that stands up to a rich side of salmon. Make the sauce up to 1 day in advance and keep chilled until ready to use.

Slow-Roasted Salmon With Fresh Chile-Tomato Sauce

45 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

1 skinless side of salmon (2 to 2 ½ pounds)
¼ cup olive oil, plus more
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup roughly chopped red onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 plum tomatoes
1 serrano chile, stem removed
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish that fits it with at least 1 inch around all sides. Rub the fillet on the top and bottom with some olive oil then season with salt and pepper.
In a blender, puree the ¼ cup olive oil with the red onion, garlic, tomatoes and chile. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then pour it over the salmon to cover completely.
Bake until the salmon is opaque on the outside and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fillet reads 120 degrees for medium doneness, 30 to 45 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet (if you want your salmon just cooked through, take it to 130 degrees).
Remove the pan from the oven and let the salmon rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, if you like, and serve family-style, straight from the baking dish with the side of your choice.