GRILLED SALMON WITH CHERRY TOMATO BARBECUE SAUCE

Grilled Salmon with Cherry Tomato Barbecue Sauce image

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 7

2 pints cherry tomatoes, preferably Sunburst, halved
Kosher salt
1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce (page 247), or to taste, warmed
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless center-cut salmon fillets, patted dry
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Arrange the tomatoes, cut sides up, in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle a little kosher salt all over. Bake until the tomatoes have concentrated their flavor (the skins will wrinkle a little) but are not dry, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and add the sauce. Gently toss until the tomatoes are evenly coated, adding more sauce if you like. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Heat your grill or a grill pan to medium-high.
Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper, then drizzle a little oil all over. Put on the grill, flat side down, and cook until the flesh releases easily from the grill grate, about 4 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until a thin-bladed knife slides through the side of the fish against the grain with no resistance, about 2 minutes longer.
Transfer the salmon to plates, spoon the sauce over the salmon, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve.
To concentrate the flavor of your tomatoes, you can use the technique above or, if you have a gas oven, you can put the tray of tomatoes in the oven overnight. Leave the oven off; the heat from the pilot light alone will have the same effect.