Scallops – Grow. Cook. Eat.

August 28, 2011

Cooking Up a Storm (Recipe: Eggplant with Miso and Spicy Mayo)

Despite all the panic inspired by the TV hype of Hurricane Irene, I went about my usual routine for the most part. Since I live in the city, I know all the markets will be open come Monday morning and I can easily walk, even if I need to climb over a few tree stumps, to Whole Foods. All summer, I’ve been loading up the freezer with kale from the garden and corn from the farmers’ market. I have a hefty stash of canned tomatoes. And just last week, I bought several steaks from two different meat CSA farms that I’m thinking of joining. Along with a well-stocked liquor cabinet, I could easily survive a week.

The one preparatory step I took was to harvest as much as I could from the garden. The only plant I’m really concerned about is the tomato – the harsh weather could bring an untimely end to the growing season. The rest of the veggies will be okay. But knowing that I won’t want to venture outside in the sheeting rain, I picked plenty of eggplant, broccoli, kale and herbs so that I could cook up a storm while I waited out Hurricane Irene.

Taking a Japanese theme, I cooked up variations Nasu Dengaku (miso rubbed eggplant) and Gomae Spinach (chilled spinach salad with sesame dressing). I topped the eggplant with spicy scallops, and used kale instead of spinach. The recipe for the sesame dressing on the kale can be found here.

Eggplant with Miso and Spicy Scallops
Adapted mostly from The Farmer’s Kitchen with the additional inspiration from Nobu .

Eggplant from my garden has no bitterness. The step of salting keeps the eggplant from absorbing oil when being fried.

2 eggplants
½ cup miso
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup sake or dry sherry

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbs. lan chi chili paste
½ pound dry sea scallops

½ cup oil
Salt
Scallions to garnish

1.    Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Generously sprinkle salt on the cut side and let sit for 20 minutes.
2.    Make the miso sauce: combine the miso, sugar, mirin and sake in a small sauce pot. Cook over low heat until well combined and the sugar is dissolved.
3.    Brush the excess salt off the eggplant. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil. Cook the eggplant, cut side down, for 5 minutes or until deeply golden brown. Turn the eggplant over and cook for one minute more. Remove from pan, at put on a cookie sheet, cut side up.
4.    Mix the mayonnaise with chili paste. Cut the scallops into chunks. Toss the scallops with the spicy mayonaise. Top the eggplant with the scallop mix.
5.    Broil the eggplant for 5 minutes or until mayo starts to glaze. Remove from oven and drizzle miso on top. Continue to broil for another few minutes before serving. Garnish with scallions.

From the garden: eggplant, kale, scallions, garlic
From the Farmers' Market/Freezer: scallops
From the pantry: everything else.

April 25, 2011

Fresh Chick Peas

Chick Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Ceci Beans…. The names vary, but the way they’re sold rarely does – dried; dried and then rehydrated in cans; or dried, rehydrated and pureed for hummus. For a few weeks every year, they are available fresh – slightly shriveled green peas encased in an almond shaped pod. Inspired by a lovely dish of scallops and fresh garbanzo beans at Lineage, I bought a pound to experiment at home.

Given the short season of availability of these little treats, the amount of information on the web is relatively limited. Most often (or so it seems) they are steamed or roasted and eaten like edamame at sushi bars. A few websites suggested eating them raw. Raw, they had a crunchy, starchy taste that suggested a brief cooking would enhance their flavor.

As I looked for culinary inspiration, I considered their prevalence in Mexican, MiddleEastern, Indian and North African Cuisine: warm climates around the globe. I opted for Moroccan flavors – riffing on a favorite Harrira Stew; further inspiration coming from the ramps that also looked beautiful.

Have you ever cooked with fresh chick peas?

Seared Sea Scallops with Fresh Chick Peas and Ramp Chermoula

1 pound fresh chick peas, shelled
2 tablespoons butter
1 bunch ramps
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of saffron
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sea scallops
1 tablespoon canola oil
Lemon juice
1 blood orange, sectioned
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, sauté the chick peas in the butter for 3 – 4 minutes, until they are bright green. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Chop the stems of the ramps; set aside the leaves. Mix the ramp stems with the parsley, cilantro, cinnamon, paprika, saffron and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Remove and discard the tough, small muscle that’s attached to the side of the scallop. Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil. Sear the scallops for 3 – 4 minutes until they turn a crispy golden brown. Turn over, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from pan. To the pan, add the ramp leaves and cook just for a minute until they wilt slightly.
Just before serving, season the chermoula with lemon juice.
Serve the scallops with the chermoula, blood orange ramps and chick peas.

October 18, 2010

The Reality of Reality TV (Recipe: Seared Scallops with Curried Lentils)

I turned on the TV the other night to discover a new season of Hell’s Kitchen had begun. After watching Chef Ramsey spew his usual venom for a few minutes, I turned it off.

For the previous two seasons, I’d known at least one contestant on Hell’s Kitchen. Two seasons ago, it was Andy Husbands, the chef/owner from Tremont 647. We met as volunteers for Operation Frontline (now Cooking Matters), and then I worked for him when he first opened his restaurant. Last season, Jason Santos reached the final-two. He also worked for Andy at the same time I did. Two days after each episode, Andy would post on his blog a behind the scenes perspective of the show. And Jason posted amusing status updates on his Facebook page… teasing us with things to come. (I also know Ben Knack tangentially – we're practically related – but that's another story)

With no friends on the show, the appeal was gone.

Instead, I went to kitchen and cooked scallops for myself. I had no worries of anyone throwing scallops at me screaming “They’re raw, you donkey!!” Without the pressure of cut-throat competition, I achieved a beautiful sear on both sides, cooked to my preferred medium doneness. (Would Chef Ramsey have approved??)

Honestly, I don’t understand how the contestants struggled with undercooking the scallops, whichon on the show had been sliced in half, so they would cook even more quickly. Even with whole scallops, by the time the deep brown caramelization envelops the scallop; they are well on their way to medium. With an additional 30 seconds in the pan, letting residual heat do its thang, they’re perfect.

Scallops are so sweet and delicious; they require little adornment beyond salt and pepper. But to keep things interesting, I served them with curried French green lentils. Fresh arugula provides a fresh, bright balance to the scallops and coaxes out the spice in the curry.

From the garden: celery, leeks, scallions

Seared Sea Scallops with Curried French Lentils

2 tbs. butter
1 shallot, small dice
1/2 carrot, small dice
1/4 celery rib, small dice
1/2 leek, small dice
2/3 cup French green lentils
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 scallions, cut into rounds
1 pound sea scallops
1 tbs. plain oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Over medium heat sweat shallots, celery, carrots and leeks in 1 tbs. of butter. Add curry powder and lentils. Add salt and pepper and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until lentils are tender. You may need to add up to 1 cup more of water. When lentils are cooked, stir in scallions and remaining butter.

Season scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Add the scallops and cook for approx. 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn scallop and cook for 1 minute more.

March 15, 2010

Crop Rotation (Recipe: Lentils with Spinach and Scallops)

Legumes – things like lentils, peanuts and chickpeas – are plants grown specifically for their seeds. They are also an integral part of crop rotation – a farming practice of planting different crops in one location as a way to replace nitrogen and other nutrients that other crops deplete. This practice minimizes the need for fertilizers and helps ward off insects and fungus.

Plants get nutrients from the soil. And unless we amend the soil, it will degrade every season as plants pull more and more from the soil. Amendments can come in the form of artificial fertilizers and organic compost. We can also add nutrients back by planting particularly nutrient dense crops, such as clover, wheat grass and legumes. Instead of depleting the soil, they add nitrogen and other important nutrients back into the soil… and planting these crops across a tapped area of soil can help it recover, so that future crops will grow better.

For me, lentils are a protein- and nutrient- dense food that is also very economical. They come in a variety of colors and shapes – red, green, brown and the rounder French (green) lentils. The French lentils are better for holding their shape, the red are great for their wonderful color and in soups since they puree easily.

In the past few weeks, a bevy of recipes have popped up on the blogosphere…
Barley Pilaf with Lentils from The Perfect Pantry
Palak Dal from Closet Cooking
Crock-Pot Curried Red Lentils from Eat This.

Last week, I made a variation on Mulligatawny soup from We Are Never Full, and garnished it with seared scallops and spinach.

Mulligatawny Soup
1 tbs. butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped into a few chunks
½ stalk of celery, chopped finely
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. curry
1/2 cinnamon
2 tsp. ground coriander seed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
1 can tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of red lentils
6 to 8 cups of chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
½ lb. scallops
½ lb. spinach
Sour cream or plain yogurt to garnish

1. Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger and sauté until they soften and become fragrant.
2. To the pot, add the spices, carrots and celery. Cook for 1 minute more, just to toast the spices and help them release their flavor.
3. Add the lentils, tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
4. Meanwhile, season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil. Add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes or until they start to brown. Flip them over and then cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the scallops from the pan.
5. Return the scallop pan to the heat. Wilt spinach. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice.
6. When lentils are tender, puree in the blender or with an immersion blender. Adjust seasoning with salt pepper and lemon juice. Garnish with scallops and spinach.

December 28, 2009

Alive and Kicking (Recipe: Corn and Scallop Soup)

A few years back, Whole Foods decided to abandon sales of live lobsters. Apparently, customers complained that this was cruel treatment to the feisty crustaceans. The whole thing seemed silly to me, as I can only imagine that the “free range chickens” live and die no better… it’s just a matter of what the consumer sees, I suppose.

In any case, it’s really not that hard to find lobsters elsewhere. Just ½ block from my local Whole Foods is Alive and Kicking. This little seafood market is set so far set back from the street that you could drive past it without even knowing it existed. And that’s just what I did… until just a few weeks ago.

Inside the market are a half dozen lobster tanks and a small display of fresh fish. The selection is small, but everything is impeccably fresh. I went there last week in search of lobsters for my new favorite dish, and walked out with a pound of scallops.

With left-over frost bitten greens and corn kernels from two summers ago (yes, it was time to clean out the freezer), I made a variation of corn and crab soup from The Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo. The clean, light broth let the sweetness of the scallop shine. And the greens added brightness to the whole dish. It was the perfect first course before the richer Cantonese Lobster.

Corn and Greens Soup with Seared Scallops

1 pound corn kernels
5 cups chicken stock
1 tbs. freshly grated ginger
1/8 tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. salt
5 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/3 cup sliced scallions
½ pound braising greens (such as kale, collards, mustard, or a combination)
1 pound sea scallops
1 tbs. plain oil (canola or peanut)

In a large pot, combine corn, chicken stock and ginger. Let simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is tender. Using a slotted spoon, strain out some of the corn (approximately half) and puree in a blender with one cup of the broth. Return pureed corn to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Wash the greens and slice them thinly. Add to the soup pot and cook for 3-5 minutes, just until they wilt. Remove pot from heat and set aside while you cook the scallops. (Alternatively, you can poach the scallops directly in the broth over medium heat for 5 minutes. If you do this, skip the next step).
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add scallops to the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.
Bring the soup back to a simmer, turn off heat and fold in egg whites. Serve immediately, garnishing with scallops and scallions.