Salmon with Strawberries, Balsamic and Basil

to make strawberry relish

The strawberry relish for this recipe is very easy to make, and can be made up to 1 hour ahead. First, stem the strawberries and chop them into small pieces. Place them into a bowl, then stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper, and fresh lemon zest. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the juices thicken and the berry flavor is sweeter and more vibrant. **

to make seared salmon

Let the salmon come to room temperature - it will cook more evenly. I usually let the salmon sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while the strawberries macerate. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Season fillets generously with salt and pepper.

Heat skillet over medium high for 3-4 minutes until drops of water sizzle on the surface. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into the skillet and swirl around to evenly coat the entire surface. Oil may begin to smoke lightly after a moment or two.

Gently place salmon fillets into the skillet, up to 4 at a time (depending on the size of your skillet), making sure not to crowd the pan and that no fillets are touching. If using skin-on fillets, the skin side should be facing upward.

Turn the burner up to high. Let the salmon sear for 2-3 minutes until a golden brown crust begins forms on the bottom edge of the meat. You can see the crust forming where the fish touches the pan - you shouldn't need to move it. Once you see that, there is no need to lift the fillets. The crust will continue developing in the oven. The less you disturb it, the better.

Do not turn the fillets. Transfer hot skillet to the preheated oven. Let the salmon continue roasting in the oven for another 6-10 minutes. Cook time will depend on the thickness of the fillets and desired doneness. Some like salmon a little on the rare side. I like it fully cooked and flaking, but still moist. For a fillet that is 1-inch at its thickest point, It will usually take around 7-8 minutes in the oven. You may cut into the thickest part of one fillet with a sharp knife to check for doneness.

When the salmon is done to your liking, use an oven mitt to carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Use caution, the skillet will be very hot.

Remove the fillets from the pan carefully with tongs or a fish spatula and plate them crust-side up. If you're not serving the fillets immediately, you may want to take them out of the oven a little less-than-done, then leave them in the hot skillet to finish cooking before you serve.

assemble and serve

Give the macerated berries a stir and taste. If you've used ripe berries, the relish should be sweet yet tart, with a nice balance provided by the salt, pepper, and lemon zest. A touch of sugar can be added if your berries were not in season and less-than-sweet. If the relish seems overly sweet, stir in a bit more salt, wait a minute or two, then stir again. Adjust seasoning to taste, if desired.

Chiffonade the fresh basil. First, gather ten large leaves together in a stack and squeeze between your fingers, with the biggest leaf on the bottom of the stack.

Roll the basil leaves tightly lengthwise, like a cigar.

Slice through the roll crosswise with a sharp knife to create long, thin shreds of basil. Discard stem ends of leaves.

Spoon fresh berry relish over the seared salmon fillets, topped by equal amounts of fresh basil garnish. Serve immediately.