Showing posts with label Scallops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scallops. Show all posts

Monday, August 6, 2012

Pan Seared Alaskan Sea Scallops

Another great weekend here in Nashville.  My Friday started off right when a shipment of fresh seafood from the fine folks at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute came across my doorstep.  Salmon, Halibut, Cod, Sea Scallops, and King Crab legs were all part of the wonderful assortment of fine seafood from the folks up North.

Of course, I couldn't wait to start cooking!

With Mom and Dad in town to celebrate a birthday, I simply prepared these sea scallops to perfection, along with some of my favorite local ingredients.  The result? 

Let's put it this way - you'll be seeing a lot more great Alaskan seafood posts over the coming weeks!

Off to San Fran - more to come.

MM



Pan Seared Alaskan Sea Scallops

1/4 lb Benton's Bacon, finely diced
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon Georgia Olive Farms EVOO
1 lb Alaskan Sea Scallops
1/2 Meyer Lemon

Pre-heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add bacon.  Cook bacon until crisp and the fat has rendered, remove with a slotted spoon and allow the bacon to cool on a paper towel.  Meanwhile, melt butter into the bacon grease, along with a tablespoon of EVOO.  Add scallops and cook for 60 seconds on one side - do not touch.  Flip scallops, squeeze over lemon juice, and cook for another 60 - 90 seconds, or until scallops are just firm to the touch.  Remove from heat, plate, and pour pan drippings over the top of the scallops.  Serve.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Surf and Turf






















Enjoyed a slow weekend playing catchup in Nashville.  I finally got back to the basics in the kitchen.  Morning omelets with a strong cup of coffee, a mixed salad with lean protein after a mid-morning workout, and a bit more of an indulgence with a glass or two of wine for dinner in the evening.

I've got 2 more weekends at home prior to the crazy July travel schedule.  By then, I'm sure I'll be ready to hit the road, but I can tell you that I'm gonna savor every bit of 'home' over these next few weeks.

Where am I going?  I'm glad you asked.

I'll be headed back up to my beloved Prince Edward Island, Canada to once again join forces with the Cavendish Beach Music Festival.  It promises to be four days filled with great music and food.  Once again, I'll be cooking up my low-country boil with plenty of local PEI ingredients.  I mean damn- life is good when you are cooking up over 100 lbs of fresh lobster each day while listening to country music and throwing down a few cold Molson Canadians.

From there, I'll hop a flight to Detroit by way of Lansing, Michigan to cook for a few days at the Common Ground Music Festival.  It promises to be another great weekend.

After that - it's off to the big apple.  I'll be doing a national spot on throwing the perfect picnic live on your television on the BetterTV network.  Excited to head back to NYC and do more live television - always a challenging, fun, and thrilling experience!

So, with all that travel ahead, I'd say I deserved such an indulgent meal as the one below.  Seafood + Steak + Fresh Veg + Wine?  Yes, yes!

Grilled Top Sirloin Filet + Pan Seared Sea Scallops + Roasted Broccolini






















Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Arrange broccolini spears in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with EVOO and season with kosher salt and fresh crack pepper.  Top with thinly sliced red onions and a few smashed garlic cloves.  Roast - uncovered - for 12 - 15 minutes.






















Cook sirloin over direct heat (either on grill or grill-pan) for two minutes, turn 45 degrees (creating nice grill marks) and cook for another two minutes.  Flip steak, and cook for 2 - 3 more minutes for medium rare.  Remove from heat, season with salt, and rest for 5 minutes.

Finally, quickly sear sea scallops in melted butter for 2 minutes per side in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Season with salt and pepper - or creole seasoning.  Remove from heat and plate.

Voila!




Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Pan Seared Sea Scallops over Smoked Tomato and Corn Risotto and Baby Arugula Salad

I get it.  The title of this recipe seems to be a bit "outside the realm" for the everyday cook.  Though the majority of my recipes tend to be geared towards the guy's guy, every now and then it's time to pull out all the stops .  I was lucky enough to be joined by some good friends last night, including a couple who are getting married this weekend!  Perhaps a celebration of sorts was in order.  Perhaps there was also too much frontier whiskey consumed and songwriting into the late night hours, as my plans to get off to an early start this morning were, well . . . a bit delayed.

To be brutally honest, this recipe has too many ingredients.  With that said, sometimes you just have to go with it.  I had several odds and ends lying around that I needed to get rid of, and that's how this recipe came about.  Note:  Don't use your guests as guinea pigs unless you know what you are doing.

This dish presents great texture and flavor contrasts.  The corn in the risotto pairs well with the firm short grained arborio rice.  Crispy pancetta adds a nice bite to the tender scallops, and the cool baby arugula salad is a refreshing note to the comforting warmth of the risotto.  Basically, if you have some time, give this a try.

Note: The following recipe serves four (4)

Risotto
1/4 Cup Pancetta, finely diced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Cup Fresh Corn Kernals
1 Cup Tomato Sauce, in heavy puree
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cups Arborio Rice
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
6 - 8 Cups Chicken Stock, warmed


Scallops
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
16 Large (U-10) Sea Scallops
Kosher Salt


Arugula Salad
2 Cups Baby Arugula
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (best quality)
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, shaved


Begin by heating a large stainless steel skillet and a small cast iron skillet over medium heat.  In the cast iron skillet, add the pancetta and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp.  Remove pancetta, reserving the fat, from skillet and allow to cool and drain on a paper towel.  Add the pancetta fat to the stainless steel skillet along with the olive oil.  Next add onions and allow to carmelize, about 12 - 15 minutes.  Return the cast-iron skillet to medium heat and add the corn.  Cook corn until kernals are tender and slightly chared on the outside.  Add tomato sauce to the corn, reduce heat to low, and allow the mixture to reduce and simmer while you finish up the risotto.  After the onions have carmelized, add the garlic and rice to the stainless skillet.  Toss the rice grains in the oil and onions, and cook grains for approximately 2 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and allow to simmer for 1 minute.  Ladle in 1 cup of stock, and stir the risotto.  Continue in this manner until rice grains are al dente and mixture is firm and creamy, about 25 - 30 minutes.  Finish the risotto by adding in the smoked tomato and corn sauce and mix thoroughly.

When risotto is near completion, heat a separate large cast iron skillet over medium high.  Add butter, and cook until foam begins to appear.  Pat scallops dry and add to skillet, careful not to crowd the pan.  Sear scallops, 2 -3 minutes on each side, season lightly with kosher salt.

As scallops are finishing, add the greens, oil, and vinegar to a mixing bowl and toss thoroughly.

To serve, plate a generous portion of risotto in the center of a large plate or shallow bowl.  Add four scallops around the perimeter of the risotto.  Next, top the risotto with the dressed greens.  Finally, add the cheese and crispy pancetta to the top of the salad.

Enjoy!