One of my favorite shows covering the Pacific Northwest is Grant's Getaways. From iconic destinations to hidden Oregon treasures, I always discover something new to explore after watching his show.
When Grant asked me if I would like to prepare a festive seafood dish to be featured on the show, I jumped at the chance! My Dad, Terry Hartill, who I bought Bell Buoy from, has showcased crab recipes on the show before. So for my debut appearance, I thought I would bring in a savory taste in the form of manicotti stuffed with a delicious smoked salmon filling. Check out a recording of the show for other recipes in addition to the manicotti featured below.
Fresh or Canned Smoked Salmon
We can and smoke all of our freshly caught fish in-house at Bell Buoy.
Check out the photos and read more about our historic canning machine on our "About" page. Our seafood is truly "Dock to Dinner Table."
Our smoked specialties include Peppered Smoked Salmon, Teriyaki Smoked Salmon, Smoked Albacore Tuna, Smoked Sturgeon, and Smoked Oysters.
For this recipe, you can use either canned or freshly smoked salmon.
Smoked Salmon Manicotti
- 1 cup smoked salmon (canned or fresh)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 1 package of manicotti
- ½ cup Dungeness Crab
- ½ cup Panko crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter
Recipe for Sauce
- 1 cup half-and-half cream
- ½ stick of butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Boil manicotti in a pot of water until cooked al dente. Remove from water and set aside.
3. While water is boiling, mix together smoked salmon, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and garlic.
4. Stuff cooked manicotti with smoked salmon/ricotta mixture, set aside.
5. Begin making sauce once the manicotti are stuffed. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour once butter is melted and stir continuously for one minute until a paste forms. Don’t let the butter brown.
6. Add half and half and stir continuously for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens and sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. You want the sauce to be thick and liquid; NOT thick like chowder. If it becomes too thick, remove it from heat and add a little half and half.
7. Once the sauce is perfect, stir in parmesan cheese and lemon juice until incorporated.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Immediately pour half the sauce into the bottom of an 8-9 inch baking dish. Lay stuffed manicotti in a baking dish so they are touching. Pour the remaining sauce over top of the manicotti. Cover with tin foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and all manicotti are hot.
10. While manicotti are baking, toast panko crumbs with two tablespoons of butter until golden.
11. Sprinkle toasted panko crumbs on top of cooked manicotti, and top with fresh Dungeness crab.
12. Serve immediately.
Celebrate with Seafood
A bubbling dish of manicotti stuffed with smoked salmon and topped with Dungeness crab is sure to make family, friends, and guests swoon with delight; the flavors are rich and savory, a true taste of the sea.
Move over turkey and ham; this seafood dish is going to be the new main course at my holiday table this year!
