Baked Salmon with Tomato-Caper Sauce

I got this recipe from my awesome chef friend, Erica, a long time ago and finally decided to try it for a girls' dinner that I was hosting. It was the first time a few of my friends had sampled my cooking, so I really wanted to impress. :) It definitely didn't disappoint in both presentation and taste. Sides of roasted asparagus and mashed sweet potatoes rounded out the meal. One thing needed for this recipe is a good oven-proof skillet. Luckily, a few weeks before the dinner I received a fantastic All-Clad stainless saute pan from Crate & Barrel as a very generous gift.

RECIPE:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 center-cut salmon fillets with skin (about 7 ounces each)
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon chopped basil

Preheat oven to 425F. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with the shallot, capers, vinegar and 1/2 tsp of salt. In a medium ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet, skin side up. (Depending on how big the skillet, you may be able to fit more than one fillet in the pan, but don't crowd!) Cook over moderately high heat until well-browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the fillets. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until the salmon is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes. Transfer the fish to plates and pour off any fat in the skillet. Cover with foil to keep warm. Place the skillet over moderate heat and add the tomato mixture along with the cumin, canola oil and remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the skillet, until the tomatoes just soften, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the salmon, sprinkle with fresh parsley and basil, and serve immediately.