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Soft, sweet, briny, and sexy
- those are the words that come to mind when I'm creating a dish with scallops.
Everyone loves them, especially when that tender interior is surrounded by a crisp
golden-brown crust. And it's easy to do; you just have to resist the temptation
to move the scallops around as they cook. See the recipe for more advice on this
- it's a useful cooking lesson to absorb.
I like to leave the browned
scallops plain and simple, but contrast them with a powerful, green, herb-rich
sauce. When the heat of the scallops hits the parsley, chives, and garlic, the
whole dish comes to life. My addition to this traditional salsa verde is minced
apple, celery, and cucumber for crunch, making the sauce act a little bit like
a salad.
Sommelier Warner
Strejan's Suggested Wine Pairing: San Gregario,Fiano di Avelino,
Campania, Italy
Yield: 4 servings
Salsa verde:
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup chopped fresh chives
- ½
cup chopped fresh chervil
- ¼ cup chopped fennel fronds (optional)
- 2
shallots, diced
- 1 apple, peeled, and finely diced
- 2 stalks celery,
finely diced
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
- 1 garlic
clove, finely minced
- 2 anchovy filets, finely minced
- 1 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
To
finish the dish: - 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 16 large scallops,
well drained
- Clam Chowder Potato Mash (see recipe below)
- 1 cup
mixed herb sprigs, such as parsley, chervil, tarragon, and cilantro (use at least
2 kinds)
Salsa verde: Just before serving, combine all the
ingredients very well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scallops:
Heat a large cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot.
Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the scallops to the pan and let sear undisturbed
until they develop a crust, about 3-5 minutes depending on their size. (I know
it's hard, but don't move the scallops around in the pan! At first they will stick,
but soon a crust will form and the scallops will release on their own.) Cook until
the bottoms are mahogany brown, then turn and cook another 2 minutes on the other
side.
To serve, scoop some mash into the center of a shallow bowl. Place
4 scallops around the mash, then spoon salsa verde over the scallops. Place a
small mound of herb salad in the center.
Clam
Chowder Potato Mash
It's very rare
that a chef comes up with something truly new (we all borrow constantly from one
another and from the past), but I do believe that this is a unique creation. It
has all the flavors of a delicious New England clam chowder (smoky bacon, briny
clams, starchy potatoes, and aromatic celery), but stirred together in a chunky,
creamy potato purée. The clam flavor comes from clam juice; there are no clams
in the recipe. It makes a wonderful side dish for any simple fish dish.
Yield:
4 servings - ½ cup diced bacon
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2
stalks celery, chopped
- 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2
large Yukon gold or other boiling potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 cups clam
juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the
bacon in a medium-size heavy pot and heat it over high heat. Cook, stirring often,
until the white fat has rendered (become liquid) and the bacon pieces are sizzling
and just beginning to turn golden. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring,
until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the potatoes and clam juice,
bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered until the potatoes are very tender. Raise
the temperature to high, stirring until the liquid evaporates and the mixture
is creamy and lumpy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep hot, or reheat
before serving. |
