PacNW Fusion, by Corning - Salmon Fettuccine in Bell Pepper Cream

Here in the Northwest, we pride ourselves on our somewhat distinctive cuisine.  Though maybe not as flamboyant as our neighbor to the south, we have a few special things that are quintessentially Pacific NW in nature.  Hazelnuts & Wild Salmon (not that farm raised Atlantic stuff) usually top the list, followed closely by bramble berries (Marion, Olallie, Tay & Logan berries) and Wild Huckleberries.  Tender Red Skinned Potatoes, Kale, Nettles and a veritable pantheon of wild Mushrooms varieties round out the list. All of these ingredients work well when fused with traditional dishes from all over the world, to give them a new spin.  Suffice it to say, California isn't the "be all, end all" of Fusion Cuisine; we got a few tricks under our somewhat soggy hats in the Great North Wet.

Thus, armed with a host of CorningWare skillets and a 1 1/2 pint Menu-ette, I felt it was time to give good old Fettuccine a Pacific Northwest upgrade.

Salmon Fettuccine with Bell Pepper Cream

2 Yellow or Orange Bell Peppers
4 oz Hazelnuts
1 cup Heavy Cream
4 TB unsalted Butter
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
Zest of 2 Lemons
1 1/2 TB fresh Lemon Thyme (regular Thyme isn't as zippy as Lemon Thyme)
White Pepper
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
8 oz King Salmon (Coho will work too)
1/2 tsp dried Dill Weed
16 oz Fettuccine
1 tsp fresh Tarragon, chopped

Corning Ware 7 inch Skillet (P-7-B)
CorningWare 9 inch Skillet (P-9-B) with lid (P-9-C)
Corningware 10 inch Skillet (P-10-B) with lid (P-10-C)
Corning Ware 2 1/2 cup Menu-ette pan (P-82-B)
a pot large enough to boil water to cook the pasta (I did not have my 5 quart Rangetopper 'N-5-B' pot yet, so I used my huge stainless steel pot... and I am ashamed)   LOL

Start the Broiler..... and place the Yellow Bell Peppers in your P-10-B skillet.

When the broiler is hot, place the P-10-B skillet 6 inches away from the element and roast the peppers.

Turn them every 5 minutes, until they are blackened all over.

Remove the P-10-B skillet from underneath the broiler and place the lid (P-10-C) over the dish and let sit for 10 minutes. (The residual steam from the peppers will loosen the skin)

Turn the broiler off, and set the oven temperature to 350F degrees and toss the Hazelnuts into the P-7-B skillet. (4 oz is just enough to cover the bottom of the skillet)

When the oven is up to temperature (which should not take that long after the broiler has been on) place the P-7-B skillet containing the Hazelnuts on the middle rack of the oven and toast for about 8-10 minutes,

shaking the pan occasionally, until they are toasty brown.

Pour the Hazelnuts from the pan into a towel and rub.

This will remove some, though not all, of the bitter chaff from the Hazelnuts...  Chop them, and set them aside to cool.

The Bell Peppers should be cool enough for peeling at this point, so remove them from the P-10-B skillet and peel the blackened skin from the peppers with a sharp knife.

Pop out the stems, along with the seeds (they should pop out fairly easily)

Mince the Roasted Bell Peppers and set aside.

Place the P-82-B Menu-ette Saucepan over medium-low flame and add the Heavy Cream and the Butter.

When the Butter has melted, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir.

Add the Lemon Zest and stir again.

Once the Parmigiano-Reggiano has melted, add the minced Bell Pepper and stir again to combine.

Reduce the flame to Low, season with Lemon Thyme and White Pepper.

In the P-9-B skillet pour the Water and the White Wine, then place the skillet over medium flame.

Add the Salmon Fillet and sprinkle with dried Dill Weed.

Cover with the P-9-C lid and let the salmon poach for 6-7 minutes.

Remove the P-9-B skillet from the flame and move the Salmon from the skillet to a board to cool. (hopefully the skin will remain in the skillet)

Wash the P-9-B skillet.

Place a large pot of salted water over high flame and bring to a boil.

Drop the Fettuccine into the boiling water and cook for about 11-14 minutes (follow the instructions on the package)

While the Pasta is cooking, flake the salmon up with a fork.

Place the Salmon back in the clean P-9-B skillet and place over Medium-Low flame.

Pour the warm Bell Pepper Cream sauce from the P-82-B into the P-9-B and stir gently to combine.

Give it a shot (3 TB) of white wine and stir until everything is heated through, then reduce the flame to low and keep warm.

When the pasta is al dente, drain and place in a large bowl.

Pour the Salmon/Bell Pepper Cream sauce over the pasta.

Add the toasted & chopped Hazelnuts and toss everything together.

Sprinkle with freshly chopped Tarragon leaves and serve.

Heaven on a plate!

Where is your CorningWare??
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