Roasted Salmon with herb butter crust a la Tyler

I know I haven't posted for a while, but that was because I was sick and didn't feel like cooking or even eating. but those times are over now and I'm all fit again to take on the world !!!! or the stove ;o)
Anyway, here's another one of Tyler Florence' awesome dishes. It was so good I could not stop eating...

Ingredients

* Extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 smallish Italian eggplants
* salt and pepper
* 1 large zucchini, cut crosswise into 1-inch sections
* 3 anchovy fillets
* 1 onion, finely sliced
* 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 1 bulb fennel, thinly shaved vertically,
* handful of cherry tomatoes
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* Pinch red pepper flakes
* bread crumbs
* 1 whole side of salmon (about 4 pounds), boned tail piece, skin on
* 1 bunch fresh basil
* 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
* salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Begin by preparing the vegetable base for the fish. Heat 1/3 cup of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes until just tender. Set aside on a platter. Add the zucchini to the pan and cook in the same way until just tender and remove to the platter with the eggplant. Add to the pan, smashed anchovies, onion, garlic and fennel. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until caramelized then add tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for a further 5 minutes until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and add the red pepper flakes. Combine all the vegetables together in a large roasting pan or casserole dish.






Now prepare the fish. Begin by vertically scoring the fish in 4 places, skin side up so the cuts pierce the skin and reveal the flesh. Prepare the basil compound butter by chopping half of the basil and mixing it with the room temperature butter until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the piece of fish with salt and pepper and smear the top of the fish with basil butter then take the whole fish and transfer to the roasting tray and place on top of the bed of vegetables.



Sprinkle the buttered fish with the bread crumb mixture.

Place in hot oven and roast for 12 to 15 minutes for medium rare, then finish under the broiler for 2 minutes to crisp the skin. Do not over cook, otherwise the fish will be dry.

To serve, portion the fish along the score marks, serve with a scoop of the vegetables.