Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Another Cooking Class At The Aquarium.

Mr. Hawthorne, Glowria, Xmaskatie, and I headed again this week to Manteo for another cooking class in the wonderful series offered by the North Carolina Aquarium.

Chef Jim Smith of The Black Pelican Restaurant
in Kitty Hawk, NC provided the demonstration.

Ah, such good food.
Mr. H. and I were worried we were going to have fishcakes, since we'd just had them for lunch.
Our worries were unfounded.
The menu was all scallops, and I loves me some scallops.
Rosie was happy.




The first dish was a scallop ceviche.

Here's the recipe:

6 oz. scallops (rinsed and diced)
5 green onions (finely sliced)
1 cucumber (peeled, seeded, and diced)
2 oz. fresh cilantro (minced)
5 limes (juiced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 tsp garlic (minced)
1 TB olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients, chill for at least 4 hours, and serve with tortilla chips.

This was good. I wouldn't necessarily order it only because my feeble brain can't work its way around chemically cooked fish, but I'm working on it.




Next up, two different scallop dishes and a rice dish.


First the Rice Recipe:

Now, remember this is a restaurant rice recipe, so just tone it down for normal amounts.

2 qt. rice
2 qt. water
1/4 margarine (I never, ever use margarine. Only butter. Land o' Lakes unsalted.)
2 TB chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2 TB parsley
chopped onion and celery
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup peas
1 cup shoe peg corn
2 TB vegetable base

Bring water, salt and pepper, margarine (Arrghh. BUTTAH.), and vegetable base to a boil.
Add garlic, parsley, veggies, and rice and bring back to boil, cover and remove from heat.
Let sit, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and stir.

Almond Scallops with Mandarin Sesame Glaze

Almond Scallops

12 jumbo sea scallops
1 cup almonds, sliced
1/2 cup Tahini
1 tsp fresh cilantro
1 tsp ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Blend 3/4 of almonds, tahini, cilantro, ginger, salt and pepper until it's a paste-like consistency. Add the paste to one side of each of the scallops and top that side with the remainder of the sliced almonds. Saute paste side down,
then bake in preheated 350-degree oven until golden brown.

Mandarin Glaze

12 oz. can Mandarin oranges
1 TB sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ginger
1/4 cup honey
6-8 oz cornstarch slurry (equal amounts cornstarch and cold water)

Bring oranges, ginger, and honey to a rapid boil. Whisk in slurry until desired consistency.


Scallops Au Poivre With Brandy Cream Sauce

Scallops

12 jumbo sea scallops
50/50 blend fresh black pepper and Kosher salt
2 TB olive oil

Put one side of each scallop into peper/salt mixture.
In large saute pan, heat oil to smoking point. Add pepper-encrusted side of each scallop to pan and sear them for 20-30 seconds on each side.
Finish in a 350-degree oven.


Brandy Cream Sauce

8 oz brandy
12 oz heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a small saucepan. Add brandy and flame. Reduce until the flames are gone, then add heavy cream. Reduce by half and add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour over scallops and serve.




This was ... what's the word? ... freaking delicious.

Although the scallops au poivre were a bit too salty (for my tastes), they were still wonderful.
I'd use 1/2 the salt or less, but then I'm not a salt person, so what do I know?
Everyone else raved about them.
Although, xmaskatie did agree with me on the salt factor.

All in all, a very enjoyable demonstration and meal.

Gosh, I love scallops.




1 comment:

Marilyn said...

I would probably agree with you on the salt factor. And I do think it is a matter of personal taste. But given that I am married to a man who would probably love to have a big ol' salt lick in his living room, what do I know?