Move Over Shrimp And Grits.
Make Room For Scallops And Grit Cakes.
I started out thinking about making shrimp and grits – with succulent, fat, tender shrimp in a rich, savory, aromatic sauce served atop creamy, cheesy grits. And thinking was as far as I got. I decided to put my Rosie Spin on a classic Southern comfort dish and take a slight detour. I ended up with soul-satisfying, seared scallops on crisp, fried, golden-brown grit cakes with caramelized bacon crowning the scallops along with a colorful side dish of sweet corn and peppers.
My little time-saving trick here was to make the grits and bacon for breakfast, so i get extra mileage here - two meals out of the effort for one.
For the grits: I used Lakeside yellow grits and followed the directions on the package. I stirred ½ cup grits into 2 cups boiling, salted water. Let the water return to a boil, stirring, reduced the heat, covered the pan, and let cook for about 6 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Depending on what type of grits you use, directions will vary. Just be sure you pay attention at the beginning, whisking the grits to get the lumps out so that you end up with a smooth, creamy consistency. I don’t recommend instant grits. I’d go with stone-ground grits since they tend to have a deeper corn flavor and a coarser texture, allowing for a fried cake that holds its structure better.
After cooking the grits, I added 3 TB unsalted butter and a heaping cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until melted. Pour the grits into a buttered 7 x 11-inch pan, smoothing out to the edges. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before cutting into squares and making the cakes.
Grit Cakes
You should be able to slice a dozen squares out of the sheet of grits.
I’m only using 6 now, saving the rest for later.
Take each grit square and dredge through flour. Next cover the grit cake in the beaten egg. Finally, coat the cake with the bread crumbs.
Add about ¼” oil to your skillet and heat to 350° to 375°. Place battered grit cakes in the hot oil, one at a time. Fry about 3 minutes on the first side, until golden brown, turn over, and fry about 2 more minutes on the flip side. Transfer to a rack and keep in a heated low oven. Save remaining oil for the scallops.
Start the bacon in a cold skillet. Cook over medium-low heat. Now, here’s a technique you might want to try when cooking bacon: I like to add a little water to the skillet, just enough to cover the bacon. The water helps the bacon cook evenly and gently so it retains its moisture, staying tender as the fat renders out. The water will eventually steam off and the bacon will end up crisp and tender, not dry and brittle.
When the bacon’s almost done, add in the brown sugar, syrup, and peppers. Finish cooking the bacon, remove from skillet, and let drain on a rack. (Don’t drain on paper towels. The bacon will stick.) When cooled, crumble bacon to use on the scallops.
I saved some of the bacon grease to use for cooking the scallops.
Tilt pan to separate bacon grease from pepper flakes/brown sugar and reserve 3 TB grease for the scallops.
For a side dish, I like Yellow Corn and Sweet Pepper.
Scrape the corn off one cob and sprinkle a teaspoon or two of sugar over top.
Dice a small red pepper or you could use a combination of green, yellow, orange, and red peppers for a confetti-like effect.
Heat about 2 TB unsalted butter in a skillet over medium high heat and when it starts to sizzle, add in the sugared corn, shaking and stirring. Cook for a few minutes until the corn browns a bit, then toss in the peppers and cook another minute to heat through. Salt to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm.
For the scallops:
To prepare the scallops, remove that tough little muscle on the side. Just pull it off with your fingers and toss it or, if you have a cat, give him/her a special treat. Pat scallops dry with paper towels.
Using a heavy duty skillet with the bacon grease and the extra oil leftover from the grit cakes, heat to 375°.
I like to lightly dust my scallops with corn starch sprinkled through a fine-mesh sieve, then add a few grinds of pepper.
Add a pat of butter to the hot oil/bacon grease and let it spit, sizzle, and melt.
Add in scallops, one at a time, without crowding, working in batches no more than 6 at a time. Cook 2 minutes on first side, then turn and cook 1 minute on the flip side. Remove from pan and keep warm while you cook the rest of the scallops.
To plate, place a grit cake or two on the serving dish, place scallops on top, then sprinkle the caramelized bacon bits over the scallops. Serve with corn and peppers on the side. I also like to garnish with a bit of greenery – chopped parsley and sliced scallions for extra flavor.
Here’s a Rosie Tip that will come in handy whenever you have scallions. Slice off the green part of the stem to use for the edible enhancement, saving the roots and about an inch of the white part. Place the root end in a small container of water. The scallions will shoot up new growth and within a few days you’ll have an abundant supply of scallions to use.
Also, to get those curlicues of scallions, slice thin strips lengthwise of the green part of the onion. Place in ice water for about ten minutes and the strips will curl up.
Enjoy.
For the step-by-steps:
First, the grit cakes.
Pour buttery and cheesy grits into a buttered pan.
Smooth it out.
Let it set for several hours, then cut into squares.
Seasoned flour, beaten egg, breadcrumbs.
Brown on each side.
Let drain and keep warm.
Try the water technique.
Drain bacon. Don't use paper towels. It'll stick.
For the corn and pepper:
Season with salt and keep warm.
Last thing, the scallops.
And fry.
Leave scallops alone, resisting any temptation to move around in the pan. They'll release when they're ready.
Enjoy heartily!
