Scallops

[geordy]

Anyone got a great scallop recipie? Or know how to salvage scallops once cooked to "live" another day in another dish?

I've got some beauties, going to just sear and serve with a lemon, snow pea, mushroom angel hair pasta. But don't think all will be consumed and don't want them to get rubbery as leftovers!!

Help!

[Jody]

I could send my husband over to your house then you would not have a problem!!!

[geordy]

That is very generous of you Demarais(some people on this forum draw the line there but I doubt he'd arrive in time!

Quite frankly it shouldn't be a problem here but I'm watching my waistline for Paris in 30 days!!!

I exalt you for your thoughtfulness!

[Penny]

scallops, too expensive for my budget but I do love them. coquillages St Jacques one of the first french phrases I learned to say correctly.
However I'm think could you not chop them and use like crab in a salad?
also try this link allrecipes.com/Search/Ingredients.aspx?WithTerm=&SearchIn=All&Wanted1=scallops
May not work as I was logged in. I see they have a recipe for Scallops Provenale.
What time is dinner? ;D

[geordy]

Thanks Penny the link worked and is quite good!

Scallops are not in my budget either but I had a craving! ;D For a few weeks now.....so I gave in. Rough week.

They were excellent...3 very large ones left over Thinking of making a Coquille St. Jacques type of dish...that was one of my first meals ever in Paris! I purposely undercooked those three so should be able to warm them with the sauce without turning them to rubber!

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Geordy - good luck with your high-end "leftovers"! I love scallops, but they are so rich I can eat only 2 or 3 without starting to regret it - hope the second day effort comes out well, as that's a good solution.

[Penny]

One of the simplest by fabulous dishes I ever had (well, tasted) was scallops in hollandaise sauce with vermouth.

I was in a party of four and we sampled each other's dish, I so wished I had got the scallops after trying those.

There is (hope still is) a restaurant in Dallas called The Grape. Started as a wine and cheese bar, explained to a 20 table restaurant. I think this may have been where I tried brie for the first time. Different menu every night.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Speaking of wine and cheese bars, has anyone else been to the wine, cheese & chocolate bar at the Intercontinental in Chicago? It's "my kind of place" (apologies to Sinatra), and often, also it's my idea of dinner! ;D

[holger]

I love scallops and actually they are better for you than shrimp which I also like. But they are hard to cook and avoid the rubbery effect. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Holger, I would have thought shrimp were better for one just because scallops taste so rich I assumed they would have fat (like salmon). I'm doing shrimp tonight, actually, just marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, fresh dill and pepper and then tossed into a basket on the grilll to cook for a few minutes. (Great leftovers on salad, too, if any survive - LOL!)

[sistereurope]

Geordy,

So what did you do with the scallops? I usually just sear them too - although we do make a souffle with scallops that's awesome (we have chickens and I'm always trying to think of recipes that use lots of eggs when we get overrun!)
The recipe we use is in Julia and Jacques, cooking at home, that I mentioned in the Food Network thread. And even though Julie is my GIRL, I like Jacques souffle recipe a lot better...I don't like the idea of fussing with a collar!

Here's the recipe for future reference - we often use crab in place of the scallops...

Credit to Julia and Jacques, Cooking at Home:

Jacque's Scallop Souffle

For the Scallops
1 pound large sea scallops
3 TBS butter
1/3 Cup minced shallots
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 TBS finely chopped fresh chives (optional)

For the Souffle
3 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
1 1/2 Cups milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
4 to 5 ounces good aged cheddar cheese
2-3 TBS fresh breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut several thin slices of the cheese and set aside and coarsely grate the rest. You should have a cup or so. Butter a souffle pan and dust with a TBS of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Saute the scallops: Melt the butter in a skillet over high heat; stir in the shallots and cook i/2 minute to soften. Add the scallops and saute over very high heat, for only a minute or so, just to brown (sear). Take off heat (they will cook a bit more in the oven)
Off the heat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn them into the souffle dish. Set aside

Making the becehemel souffle base (NOTE - I'm on my laptop and can't do accents ;D)
Melt the butter and add flour, whisk together to form a roux. Cook only for about 10 seconds, then pour in milk, whisking to blend. Bring the sauce to the boil, whisking continuously and occasionally clearing the sides of the pan. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Reduces heat and cook for another minute or two, whisking occasionally.

Finishing the souffle mixture
With the bechemel at a gentle boil, add the yolks to the saucepan all at once and whisk vigorously to blend. Stir until the mixture just comes back to a boil, then remove from heat.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and shiny. Scoop about 1/3 of the egg whites into the bechemel saucepan and whisk thoroughly and quickly into the warm sauce to loosen it. Immediately pour all of the sauce over the beaten egg whites and begin folding with a rubber spatula, at the same time sprinkling in the grated cheddar cheese. Continue to fold until the mixture is blended (being careful not to deflate the whites!)

(Another note: this is a good recipe to make with a co-chef!)

Pour the souffle mixture over the scallops, smoothing the top with the spatula. Using a long knife or a cake spatula, mark diagonal lines in a criss-cross pattern on the top of the souffle, sprinkle the bread crumbs in top. Cut the remaining cheese slices into diamond and triangle shapes and arrange on top of the souffle.
Place souffle dish on a cookie sheet and set in the oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the souffle is puffy and the top is deeply colored (we have found that we need more time, more like 30-45 minutes - just keep checking the color and puffiness).

Whew! A lot of work, but really really good...especially with some farm fresh eggs (and it any of you ever visit Baltimore I'd be happy to give you some eggs!)

[Happygoin]

Not French, but when I lived in Maine, scallops were plentiful and inexpensive. I made scallop chowder often in the cooler weather. On lazier nights, I just baked them in a shallow baking dish, with buttered, fresh bread crumbs mixed with paprika, salt, pepper and thyme.

[jpcat]

Here's my favorite scallop recipe which I make for large family gatherings. Even though I don't eat them (being a vegetarian), everyone raves about them.

Scallop Puffs
(Adapted from the Nantucket Open-House Cookbook)

The scallop mixture will make between 6-12 dozen hors d’oeuvres depending on the size of the toast rounds. It will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
3 scant tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound bay scallops, quartered (sea scallops work too - cut into small pieces)
2 teaspoons finely minced lemon zest
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 cups or slightly less, grated Gruyere cheese (about .69 lb.)
2 cups mayonnaise
pinch sea salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
Paprika
12 dozen one-inch or 6 dozen larger bread rounds
cut from good-quality sandwich bread, lightly toasted.
(A biscuit cutter works well)


Preparation:
1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add scallops, lemon zest and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until scallops are just barely cooked through - about 2-3 minutes. Add dill and cook 30 seconds longer. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Add the cheese, mayonnaise salt and pepper to the scallop mixture and stir to combine well.

3. Place toast rounds on baking sheets. Top each round with a heaping teaspoon of the scallop mixture and sprinkle lightly with paprika.

4. Place under broiler, 5 inches from heat, until puffed and golden - about 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.

[geordy]

All the recipies sound great but alas unless the price goes down significantly(doubtful) I won't be using them anytime soon!

It was rather hot and humid here yesterday and I was out in it for most of the day...so when I got home I had the largest remaining scallop on top of a salad! Drizzled with a bit of Outerbridge's Original sherry rum pepper sauce from Bermuda. Perfect!

[Sarastro]

pennymb said:

There is (hope still is) a restaurant in Dallas called The Grape. Started as a wine and cheese bar, explained to a 20 table restaurant. I think this may have been where I tried brie for the first time. Different menu every night.

Penny,

After many years under the same owner, The Grape recently changed hands but it still is open and serving wonderful food. My French friends absolutely love eating there.

[gertie]

Oooooo love The Grape Hubs takes me every year for our Anniversary.

[Jody]

OHHH,The Grape and Snuffer's, 2 of the things I miss most about Dallas. Our other 2 favorites, La Tosca and Callaudaud ( That's spelled wrong) are no longer there .