Salmon and tomato relish recipe - Dairy Foods

This is an easy, delicious recipe I got out of the May/June 09 issue of Southern Accents magazine.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Tomato Relish

4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Tomato relish (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Pat salmon fillets dry with a paper towel; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place fillets in pan, skin side up, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or muntil edges turn golden. Turn over, and cook 15 seconds.

Remove fillets from skillet, and place in a baking dish (I have lovely All Clad pans, thanks to getting married and receiving them as a wedding gift, and those can go right in the oven, which is really nice). Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Spoon Tomato Relish over salmon. Serve immediately.

Tomato Relish

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper (I just used ground black pepper)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (I substituted red wine vinegar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes, each cut in half (I cut into fourths)
1/4 cup caper, rinsed and drained
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley (instead of these herbs, I used basil)
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Combine first 4 ingredients (through vinegar) in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Slowly add a vegetable oil stirring constantly with a whisk to form an emulsion. Whisk in olive oil.

Combine tomatoes, capers, parsley, thyme, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add 2/3 cup of the vinaigrette, tossing gently to coat. (The recipe says to reserve the remaining vinaigrett for other uses, which is kind of dumb.....I think I probably used it all because I don't remember having anything leftover).