Scallops with Thai Coconut Sauce

So the other day a long-lost friend (thank you Facebook) made a special request for a blog post. I've never had one of those before, and thought it was hilarious and flattering at the same time. It seems that he is the cook of the house, and his lovely wife has decided that he needs to cook more of my recipes. Since he loves scallops (and his wife not so much) he requested some recipes that use this tender mollusk so that he might encourage her to give them a second chance. Boy, I hope I'm not getting him in trouble right now...

I personally love scallops. They remind me of my favorite fish, halibut. They are mild, tender and not very fishy-tasting at all. In fact, fresh ones should only have a slight briny perfume, and not an overwhelming odor. If they do, don't buy them. There is a season for the smaller of the two types called bay scallops. They are primarily harvested near the shore in fall and winter. The larger sea scallops are harvested year-round in deep Atlantic waters. Read more about them here. The scallops I bought were frozen New England scallops from Trader Joe's. I am a little reluctant to admit that because 1) it was Earth Day when we ate this meal and they have kind of a large carbon footprint coming from 3000 miles away and 2) I put so much emphasis on fresh. But seafood is flash-frozen, often out on the boats themselves, and can be a tasty alternative for when you cannot find them fresh. I have made these many times before and the quality is really quite good. I don't think you will be disappointed.

I tried to be creative and 'chefy' in the plating of this dish, but it was by no means a difficult endeavor. First I created a rice timbale, where I packed hot rice into a ramekin and then turned it out onto the plate, and then I drizzled a coconut sauce moat around it, in which the succulent golden scallops were floated. Then each scallop and the rice were topped with a dollop of my tomato chili jam (which you can buy at many stores by the way-not my tomato chili jam, but tomato chili jam all the same) and a roughly chopped handful of cilantro and basil. It was salty, sour, spicy and sweet...everything good Asian food should be.

Thai Coconut Scallops

serves 4

1 pound of sea scallops with muscle removed

1 handful of cilantro, stems and leaves separated

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T fish sauce

zest and juice from 2 limes

1 T sesame oil

2 t chili garlic paste

1 thumb of fresh ginger, chopped

1 can coconut milk

1/2 t tamarind paste (optional)

1/2 C chicken stock

1 bunch of bok choy, thinly sliced

fresh basil leaves

hot cooked rice

Put rice on to cook.

Into a small food processor place cilantro stems, garlic, fish sauce, zest and juice from limes, sesame oil, chili garlic paste and ginger. Whiz until completely smooth. Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil and then pour in the cilantro paste. Stir for one minute then add the coconut milk, chicken stock and tamarind paste if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until mixture thickens slightly. Add the slivered bok choy and leave on heat just until bok choy wilts. Cover, and remove from heat.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Pat scallops dry and season both sides well with salt and pepper. Score lightly in a cross-hatch (tic-tac-toe) pattern. Place in the skillet, taking care not to crowd (you might need to do two batches). Cook on each side for about 2 minutes. Scallops should be golden brown, but be careful not to overcook them or they will become tough.

Pack hot rice into 4 oz. ramekins and turn out onto plates. Spoon coconut sauce over rice and around it. Place 4 scallops on each plate and top with tomato chili jam (or chutney of some sort). Sprinkle on chopped cilantro and basil leaves. See? That wasn't so hard.

Seafood Gratin

Some recipes, when tasted the first time, are so very delicious that you wonder where they have been all your life. Such is the case with the most delectable seafood gratin I made for dinner tonight. It is so rich, and filled with so much silky creaminess that it is almost impossible to go back for seconds, and almost impossible not to. A cream/wine sauce that is spiked with saffron forms the base, then it is loaded with shrimp, scallops and halibut and layered with sauteed carrots and leeks. Though it has many steps in its preparation, none is particularly complicated and it can be made in advance and baked later. The recipe hails from the Barefoot "Two Sticks of Butter" Contessa and is definitely one for a special occasion or one that would make an ordinary occasion special. I realize that this photo does not do justice to all the beautiful seafood concealed beneath the buttery blanket of Panko, but trust me, you will be amazed by its creamy goodness.

If you cannot find good seafood stock in your market it is really simple to make.



Seafood Stock

Saute 3 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, one chopped carrot, and the shells from one pound of shrimp in 2 T olive oil over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add 1 1/2 quarts of water, 1/2 C good dry wine and 1/3 C tomato paste. Stir in 10 sprigs of thyme and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and continue to simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve, pressing on solids to remove as much stock as possible. You should have about 1 quart, but add wine or water to make up the difference if it is a bit short.

Seafood Gratin

1 cup seafood stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons good dry white wine
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half crosswise
8 ounces raw halibut, cut into1-inch chunks
8 ounces raw sea scallops, cut in half crosswise
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups julienned leeks, white and light green parts (2 large)
1 1/2 cups julienned carrots (3 carrots)
1 cup panko (Japanese dried bread crumbs)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the stock, cream, 1/2 cup of the wine, the tomato puree, and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the shrimp. After 3 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to a bowl. Add the halibut to the stock for 3 minutes, until just cooked through, and remove to the same bowl. Add the scallops and cook for 3 minutes then remove to the same bowl. Continue to cook the sauce until reduced by half, about 12 minutes. Mash 1 tablespoon of the butter together with the flour. Whisk the butter mixture into the sauce along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saute pan. Add the leeks and carrots and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender. Set aside.

Combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley, tarragon, and garlic. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and mix it into the crumbs until they're moistened.

Put the seafood into a greased 9 x 13 dish. Strew the vegetables on top. Pour the sauce over the seafood and vegetables and spoon the crumbs evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.

At Market...Carrots

Here in California, many things are available at our farmers markets year round, or at the very least, we have two long seasons, separated by only a few short months. That is the case for carrots. Tender young carrots are so very different from the so called baby carrots that are available in every grocery store. Those are actually full size carrots that have been whipped around in a peeling and chopping machine, so that they look like baby carrots. Most of the time, it is very hard to taste the difference between those carrots and the bag in which they were packaged.

But young carrots, plucked fresh from the earth, are something to behold indeed. Slightly grassy yet sweet, crisp yet tender, their orange root contrasts so beautifully with the green frilly leaves on top. I like to eat them raw, but they are also so delicious when blanched briefly and then sauteed with butter and leeks. It elevates a simple root into something fancy enough for a dinner party.

Tonight we dined on New England (I know, NOT local) scallops, sauteed in a bit of garlic, butter and white wine, served over white rice with the carrots on the side. It took all of 20 minutes to prepare, and was served up to my rushed, and seemingly unenthusiastic husband and children before soccer practice. I was left alone at the table to linger over my glass of wine, uninterrupted....which I guess is not as bad as I initially made it out to be. I thought that dinner tasted quite delicious actually and I even went back for seconds!










Sauteed Scallops in Butter and White Wine Sauce
serves 4 small eaters...2 big ones!

1 pound of sea scallops
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T minced parsley
splash of wine
splash of lemon juice
salt and pepper

Cut large scallops in half crosswise. Heat butter and olive oil in the pan over medium heat and saute garlic for about 2 minutes. Turn heat to high and add scallops to the pan in one layer. Cook for just a two minutes a side, or until opaque. Do NOT overcook scallops! Add a splash of white wine and simmer for one minute more. Turn out into serving bowl, and season with salt and pepper and squeeze lemon over. Taste for seasoning. Sprinkle over chopped parsley and serve.











Sauteed Real Baby Carrots

1 bunch young carrots with tops
1 T butter
1 leek (white part only) sliced and soaked in cold water briefly to remove sand
chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Trim carrots so that about 1/2 inch of the top remains. If desired peel. Blanch carrots in water for a few minutes, or until crisp tender. In saute pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add leeks and saute for 3 minutes or until softened. Add carrots and saute for 2 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over chopped parsley and serve.