Salmon with Deconstructed Romesco Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 thick slices crusty bread
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped tomato
• 3 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 fillets salmon, about 2 pounds

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Char the red peppers under the broiler or directly over a flame, turning until the skins are black and blistered all over. Move them to a bowl, cover it, and leave them for 15 minutes so the skins soften and pull away. Slip off the skins, remove the seeds, and chop the peppers into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. While the peppers sit, warm 2 tablespoons from the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet set over medium heat, just until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the bread and cook it until it is golden on each side, about 4 minutes total. Take it out of the pan, let it cool, then slice it into 1/4-inch cubes.
3. Pour another tablespoon of olive oil into the same skillet and warm it until glossy. Stir in the almonds and cook them briefly, just until toasted, then add the garlic and tomatoes. Continue cooking until the tomato liquid has cooked off, 2-3 minutes.
4. Scrape the skillet mixture into a large bowl. Add the roasted peppers, bread cubes, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, and the rest of the olive oil. Stir everything together, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Sprinkle the salmon fillets with salt and pepper on both sides, then place them skin side down in a roasting pan. Spoon the romesco mixture around the fish and roast until the salmon is nearly cooked through, 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness. Use the broiler for the final few minutes so the ingredients caramelize a bit. Serve the salmon with the romesco spooned around it.