Michael Lomonaco's Slow-Roasted Salmon With A Basil And Herb Crust

Ingredients

• 4 fresh salmon fillets, 6- to 8-ounce portions, skin and all bones removed
• one 2-ounce package fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cup drained canned plum tomatoes, imported san arzano preferred
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil leaves and 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and pulse until a paste forms. Remove basil paste from the food processor; season the salmon with salt and pepper.
3. Evenly coat the top fleshy side of each piece of salmon fillet with some basil paste, leaving the skinned side as the bottom.
4. Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic in the same food processor bowl and pulse until the parsley and garlic are chopped; pour the breadcrumb mixture out on to platter.
5. Dip the basil-coated side of salmon into the bread-crumb mixture and pat down to create the top crust. Chop the canned tomatoes roughly with a knife and pour the tomatoes into the bottom of a casserole large enough to hold the salmon fillets.
6. Place salmon, bread-crumb topping up, on the tomatoes and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of the bread-crumbs.
7. Place the fish into the oven, and slow roast for 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. Remove from the oven, serve immediately with some of the tomato and pan juices.