(Adapted from Thyme Café & Market via LA Times Culinary SOS)
2 red bell peppers
1/3 to 1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 small clove garlic, chopped (can chop in food processor)
Zest and juice of 1/2 to 2/3 of a lemon, or to taste
2/3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil, more or less to taste
1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped chives
2 (8-ounce) salmon fillets
Bread, rice, or pasta to serve on the side with the sauce
First roast the red peppers: Preheat oven to 500. Put the peppers on a baking dish. Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning with tongs every fifteen minutes or so. When appropriately charred, remove from oven and put in a bowl, covered tightly with foil, for 30 minutes. At that point, they should be easy to peel. Take the peels off and remove the seeds.
Meanwhile, toast the hazelnuts on the stove on a medium-low heat, stirring or shaking occasionally, until they are warm but not burnt.
Turn the oven down to 425 to get it ready for the salmon.
In a food processor, chop the garlic and the hazelnuts. Add the peeled peppers, lemon zest and juice, cider vinegar, salt and several grinds of black pepper. Pulse to combine. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify. It will be surprisingly creamy looking! Taste, adjusting seasoning and flavoring as desired, and adjusting the thickness of the pesto with additional olive oil.
Remove the pesto to a bowl and stir in the chives, if using.
Place the salmon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spray or drizzle a little oil onto each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until cooked through, around 15 minutes. Let rest for around 2 minutes.
Serve the salmon covered in pesto with more to spoon on top or eat with the bread/rice/pasta.
We didn’t have the chives so we used dried, and it was fine.
Would be fantastic on pasta or other fish or with a spoon.