Dan's Papers - September 12, 2008 - Simple Art of Cooking

Sweet local sea scallops have a long season and availability at our local seafood markets is good. There are hundreds of species of scallops found in waters world-wide but only a handful enter the commercial markets locally. They range in size from the tiny sweet bays - we are yet to know if our local Peconic bays will be available later this fall - to a variety of sizes such as U-10 (under 10), 10-20, 20-30 and 30-40: the varied numbers denote number of scallops to the pound. For the most part you will probably find the 20-30 size in most fish markets. The availability of size can often determine the recipe you will be using it for.

For instance, for the scallop Provencal recipe below, ideally used as an appetizer for its buttery richness, I would suggest the large 10-20 size. For the crusted scallops with citrus sauce served as a main dish I would use the 20 to 30 size as their richness is cut by the panko coating and orange flavor infused sauce. For the chili pepper scallops over linguini, the 30-40 size would be my choice, but the 20-30 would work as well.

When cooking scallops it's important to remove the tough muscle attached to their side and always dry them well if they are to be sautéed or pan-fried. It's a good idea to preheat your skillet; for this reason I suggest an iron or sturdy saute pan before adding butter or oil. This way when the scallops hit the pan they'll sizzle and brown almost immediately.

SCALLOPS PROVENCAL
This classic scallop recipe from Provence is about as simple as it could get!
Serves 4 as appetizer

1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
12 large sea scallops, side muscle removed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine

1. Combine garlic and parsley in a small dish and set aside.

2. Rinse scallops and pat dry with paper towel. Heat a cast iron skillet or sturdy saute pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Put in the butter and melt to a light golden brown. Sear the scallops until barely opaque, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You may have to saute scallops in two batches. Transfer to warm plates as they are done.

3. Add the wine to deglaze drippings in the pan and reduce by half. Drizzle equally over the scallops and garnish with garlic and parsley mixture. Serve at once.

Dust the scallops with panko, Japanese-style bread crumbs, for added crunch
Orange peel from 1 navel orange
20 even size sea scallops, tough side muscle removed
Panko bread crumbs, optional
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1. Slice the orange peel into julienne and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and reserve.

2. Rinse scallops and pat dry with paper towels. Put the panko bread crumbs on a plate and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Dredge the scallops in the mixture to coat.

3. Heat a cast iron skillet or sturdy sauté pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the oil and 1 tablespoon butter, and when butter foam subsides put in the scallops. Sear the scallops until barely opaque, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes each side. You may have to sauté scallops in two or three batches. Transfer to warm plates as they are done.

4. Melt remaining butter in the pan, add chopped shallot and sauté quickly until translucent. Add orange juice and stir to deglaze pan drippings and taste for salt and pepper. Add the orange peel julienne and parsley and stir to mix. Divide sauce equally over the plated scallops and serve.

CHILI PEPPER SCALLOPS OVER LINGUINE
Chili powder, red pepper flakes, cumin and cilantro combine to spice up this pasta dish.
Serves 4-5

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
18-20 local cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8-1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 pound linguine
1 pound "dry" sea scallops, side muscle removed
3-4 thinly sliced scallions for garnish, optional

1. In a skillet heat 1/3 cup of oil and add onions and garlic. Sauté onions, stirring for 1-2 minutes until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, chili powder, pepper flakes, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 4-5 minutes over low heat; add cilantro, stir to mix and remove from heat.

2. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add coarse salt to taste and put in the pasta. Stir the pasta to separate the strands and cook at a brisk rolling boiling for 9-12 minutes until al dente. Ladle 1/4 cup pasta water into the sauce.

3. Several minutes before pasta is done return the sauce to medium heat, taste to adjust seasoning if necessary and put in the scallops. Simmer for 1 1/2-2 minutes, turning once, until scallops are opaque. Remove from heat. Drain the pasta and divide into 4-5 warm shallow pasta bowls. Ladle scallop sauce, divided equally, over each bowl and drizzle with remaining oil. Garnish with scallions, if desired, and serve at once.