Pan Seared Salmon Puttanesca

Nicely browned salmon fillet in a rich tomato and olive sauce is a wonderful way to serve salmon on a cold winter night - especially when you kick up the sauce with the heat of some red chili flakes - so characteristic of a robust Puttanesca tomato sauce.
1-1/4 lb salmon fillet
1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz fresh button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 tsp dried crushed red chili flakes
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 6 oz (dry weight) can small black pitted California olives

Cut salmon into 4 serving portions.

Melt butter in oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add salmon, skin-side up. Brown the salmon over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, until nicely browned.

Flip salmon pieces and cook another 3-4 minutes, skin-side down.

The salmon should still be slightly rare, as it will cook some more in the sauce, and you do not want to overcook the salmon. Remove salmon to a plate and keep warm.

Add mushrooms to skillet with a dash more oil and cook over high heat until they release what water they will and brown up nicely - about 5-8 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and chili flakes and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Now add the tomatoes to the mushroom mixture by breaking them up with your hands to crush them as you add them. Add the remaining juice from the can. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir, then cover and simmer to 30 minutes.

After the sauce has cooked and developed richer flavor, add the olives and heat through.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Now nestle the salmon portions in the sauce and return to a gentle boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and heat the dish through, to finish cooking the salmon.

Serve salmon portions with Puttanesca sauce.  Serves 4.