Recipe: Thomas Keller’s Seared Salmon with Demi-Sec Tomatoes and Olive Basil Vinaigrette

Few who’ve had the privilege of eating at the French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., would say to themselves, “I can do this.” Thomas Keller’s cooking style blends traditional French techniques (he worked under French chef Roland Henin at the Dunes Club in Narragansett, R.I., and was a stagiaire at Taillevent in Paris) with a fanatical focus on carefully curated global ingredients. A petite dish of beef tartare is made from 100-day-aged rib eye and topped with a tiny morsel of Japanese Wagyu “bacon,” tender and wonderfully aromatic of a country smokehouse. The top neatly sliced off, an eggshell becomes the delicate vessel for hen egg custard topped with ragout of Périgord truffle. Several of Keller’s culinary creations are iconic, such as “oysters and pearls”: thumbnail-sized poached oysters and a spoonful of Regiis Ova caviar atop a bed of silky tapioca “sabayon.”

Since he purchased the French Laundry in 1994, Keller and his team have achieved the seemingly impossible night after night, executing a parade of highly evocative miniature dishes, presented with flawless service and easygoing hospitality. Even if you could somehow channel Keller’s talent and fastidious nature, it requires much more than just one great chef to execute a tasting menu of a dozen—or more—dishes to perfection. Given Keller’s stature, experience and resources, what can a humble home cook hope to learn from one of the most decorated chefs in the world? It turns out, plenty. (Read more in our Aug. 31, 2023, issue’s cover story, “Cook It like Keller.”)

Wine Spectator suggests pairing Keller’s recipe for seared salmon—served with juicy demi-sec soaked tomatoes and a mouthwatering olive vinaigrette—with a California Pinot Noir “with plenty of energy,” which surely describes our No. 8 wine of 2024.

Do Ahead

Ōra King Salmon

• Eight 5-ounce top loin pieces of Ōra King Salmon or other high quality salmon, pin bones, skin and gray fat removed
• 3 quarts ice-cold water
• 2 cups Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
• Vegetable oil spray

1. Dissolve the salt in the water using a container large enough to accommodate the liquid and the salmon. Immerse the salmon in the brine and refrigerate. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly mist with the vegetable oil spray.

2. After 10 minutes, remove the salmon from the brine. Drain well and blot dry using a lint-free cloth or paper towels. Transfer the salmon skin side up to the lined sheet pan.

3. Store the salmon uncovered in the refrigerator overnight to allow a thin, dry skin to develop on its top surface.

Lemon Salt

• 3 tablespoons Maldon salt
• Grated zest of half a lemon

1. Combine the zest and salt. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Demi-Sec Tomatoes

• 16 medium Campari brand or similar vine-ripened tomatoes, about 2 inches in diameter
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or avocado oil
• Kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 250° F. Fill a 4-quart saucepot with water and bring to a rapid boil.

2. Plunge 2 to 3 tomatoes at a time into the boiling water, for 5 to 7 seconds, immediately transferring them thereafter to an ice bath. Repeat process with the remaining tomatoes.

3. Starting at the stem end, peel the skin from the tomatoes. Discard the skin. Doing just a few at a time, toss the tomatoes in the oil, then transfer them to a sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat, ensuring that the tomatoes are evenly spaced and not touching.

4. Lightly dust the tomatoes with salt and bake until they begin to shrink and shrivel; this can take up to 2 1/2 hours. When done, the tomatoes should be about two-thirds of their original size. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and cool completely.

5. Transfer the cooled tomatoes to an oiled baking dish and wrap in aluminum foil. Ensure the tomatoes are separated and are not touching the foil. Refrigerate until needed.

Picholine Olive-and-Basil Vinaigrette

• 2 1/2 ounces basil leaves
• 1 1/2 ounces Italian parsley leaves
• 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 strips lemon zest, white pith removed
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped picholine olives
• 3 tablespoons chopped nonpareil capers
• Kosher salt

1. Bring a large saucepot of water to a rapid boil. Season the water well with kosher salt. Blanch a handful of the basil and the parsley leaves at a time in the water, for about 5 seconds, then remove and immerse the herbs in ice water. Repeat the process with the remaining herbs.

2. Remove the blanched herbs from the ice bath, drain and gently squeeze water from them. Coarsely chop the herbs, then add them to a blender with the garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend at maximum speed, scraping the sides as needed, until the mixture heats up and the oil is an emerald green color.

3. Transfer the puree to a small mixing bowl, then place that bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice water. Stir to cool the puree to preserve the color. Stir in the chopped olives and the capers. Refrigerate in a sealed container until needed.

Put It Together

Prepped ingredients: 8 portions Ōra King Salmon, 16 Demi-Sec Tomatoes, Picholine Olive-and-Basil Vinaigrette, Lemon Salt

• Grapeseed or avocado oil
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Small basil leaves or picked basil buds

1. Remove the Demi-Sec Tomatoes and the Brined Salmon from the refrigerator. Heat one large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add enough grapeseed or avocado oil to the pan to cover the bottom by about 3/16 inch.

2. When the oil begins to shimmer and slightly smoke, carefully lay 2 to 3 pieces of the salmon dry side down in the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan. Give the pan a gentle shake to ensure the fish is not sticking. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a searing temperature without burning the flesh. Meanwhile, line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

3. Once a golden-brown crust develops on the salmon, about 2 to 3 minutes, use a thin spatula to remove the fish from the pan and place the seared side up. The goal is to develop the color and crust, not to cook the salmon through. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of fish, discarding the used fat between batches and adding fresh oil each time.

4. Place the cooked salmon pieces in a shallow baking dish to cool, then wrap the dish tightly in aluminum foil, being careful that the foil does not touch the fish. Let the salmon temper at room temperature for about an hour.

5. Remove the Picholine Olive-and-Basil Vinaigrette from the refrigerator and let it temper at room temperature. Preheat oven to 250° F.

6. When ready to serve, place the foil-wrapped salmon and tomatoes in the oven. Bake the salmon for 6 to 7 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 115° F. As thickness may vary between the salmon portions, the internal temperature is a more reliable method of determining doneness. Once the salmon is cooked, remove it and the tomatoes from the oven.

7. Unwrap the salmon and drizzle each piece with extra-virgin olive oil and a few grains of the Lemon Salt. The salmon has been brined, so be conservative with the amount of salt you add.

8. Stir the lemon juice into the vinaigrette, then spoon the vinaigrette in a circular pattern onto 8 plates. Blot the bottoms of the salmon quickly on a paper towel, then place 1 piece slightly off-center on each plate. Nestle 2 of the tomatoes against the salmon and garnish with the basil. Serve immediately. Serves 8.