Pan Seared Salmon with Kumquats.jpg — Pan Seared Salmon

**By Chadwick Boyd**
PHOTO Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

This recipe is featured in the "Orange Crush" story I did for Better Homes & Gardens. But for summer, I like to make it with sun-ripe cherry tomatoes. They make a fantastically simple pan sauce. This seafood recipe is easy enough for a weeknight and showy enough for a dinner party all at once.

Chadwick’s Checklist

What you need to know before you cook.

Kumquats and salmon will need to be quick-cured: kumquats for 25 minutes, salmon for 15.
A 12-inch nonstick skillet, or anything larger will be able to fit all the ingredients.

SERVING SIZE: 4 PREP TIME: 15 mins TOTAL TIME: 50 min

Ingredients

2 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons sea salt
46 ounces fresh salmon fillets, skin on
1 large navel orange
2 cups water
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ cup thinly sliced shallots
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated fresh horseradish or prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
2/3 cup dry white wine
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
½ head radicchio, shredded

Directions

In a medium bowl sprinkle cherry tomatoes with 1 Tbsp. of the salt. Set aside.
Meanwhile, brine salmon: Place fillets in a shallow dish. Over a bowl zest and juice orange; stir in the water and remaining 1 Tbsp. salt until dissolved. Pour over salmon; let brine at room temperature 15 minutes.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add kumquats and shallots. Cook 8 minutes or until starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside. Wipe skillet clean.
Remove salmon from brine; pat dry. Season with salt and black pepper.
In the same skillet heat 2 Tbsp. oil 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat. Add salmon, skin side down. (Oil will sizzle.) Press with a spatula to keep skin from curling. Cook 8 minutes without moving fish or until skin is brown and crispy and fillet is opaque. Using tongs, carefully turn fillets over; sear 1 minute. Transfer to a cutting board or plate, skin side up. Tent with foil.
Drain fat from skillet; return to heat. Increase heat to medium-high. Add kumquat-shallot mixture, horseradish, and brown sugar; cook 1 minute. Carefully add wine; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until it reaches a sauce-like consistency. Remove from heat. Stir in half the basil.
Serve salmon over shredded radicchio and kumquat-shallot mixture. Top with remaining basil.