We have had so many wonderful tomatoes this summer and just as the weather was beginning to cool a bit, we began getting a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market.  All sizes, shapes, colors, and aromas brought new ideas to the kitchen.  Years ago, when we were in the catering business I often had a tasty chicken in a tomato-ginger sauce on the menu, particularly when the party was a buffet.  Unfortunately, it was so popular and I made it so often that I finally decided I would never make it again and had long forgotten about it.  But, when I had an overload of heirloom tomatoes I thought about doing a new version of the dish using fish.  It was, like the inspiration, delicious and I’m sure it could easily be done with a chicken paillard.  For the sauce, I use a microplane to “mince” the garlic and ginger; this results in almost puréed flesh which easily integrates into the sauce.

Fish “Paillards” with Tomato-Ginger Sauce

Serves 6

2 cups finely chopped heirloom tomatoes

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons minced ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

Six very thin (about ⅓-inch) slices boneless, skinless salmon

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

White pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chiffonade fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

6 small handfuls baby arugula, washed and well-dried

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

Combine the tomatoes, garlic, and ginger in a small, nonreactive saucepan over low heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until very hot and fragrant.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside but keep hot.

Heat six dinner plates.  Keep warm.

Using about 1 tablespoon of the butter, lightly coat a nonstick baking pan large enough to hold the fish in a single layer.  Lay the fish into the pan in a single layer.  Season with salt and white pepper and place in the preheated oven for 3 minutes or until just barely set.  Remove from the oven and, using a wide spatula, carefully place a fish “paillard” in the center of each hot plate.

Stir the remaining butter into the hot tomato sauce and then fold in the mint and cilantro.  Spoon a generous amount of the sauce over each piece of fish.  Top with a handful of baby arugula and serve immediately.