variations
Add chopped tomatoes and chopped parsley at the same time as the sherry.
After removing the mussels from the pot, stir ½ cup of half-and-half or cream into the broth.
serving & menu ideas
Serve with a salad such as Baby Greens with Pecans & Pears.
seared scallops
These sweet, delectable scallops are browned and caramelized on the outside, moist on the inside, and ready in an instant.
SERVES 4
TIME: 15 MINUTES
1 pound scallops
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
lemon wedges
Rinse the scallops and pat dry with a paper towel. If they differ in size, cut the larger ones in half crosswise.
Heat the oil in a large skillet on high heat until the oil is very hot but not smoking. Add the scallops and stir gently to coat with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the scallops have developed a brown crust, usually in 2 or 3 minutes, gently turn them over and cook until the other side is browned, 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer the scallops to a serving dish. Serve with lemon wedges.
INGREDIENT NOTE Ask for “dry” or untreated scallops, ones that have not been treated with STP solution (sodium tripolyphosphate), a preservative.
serving & menu ideas
Serve on a bed of rice or baby spinach. These scallops are really good drizzled with Brown Butter Sauce. Try them with Brilliant Yellow Noodles and Wilted Spinach Salad with Pecans & Asiago for a vibrant supper.
crisp pan-fried scallops
These scallops are pan-fried, but the effect is very similar to deep-fried. Panko crumbs or flakes are Japanese-style bread crumbs. They’re coarser and more irregularly shaped than regular bread crumbs, and although they look fresh, they’re dry. When used for frying, they absorb less oil and make a lighter, crunchier, more tender and delicate coating that stays crisp longer than ordinary coatings.
SERVES 4
TIME: 15 MINUTES
1 pound scallops
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1½ cups panko
¼ cup vegetable oil
lemon wedges
Rinse the scallops and pat dry. If they differ in size, cut the larger ones in half crosswise. In a bowl, whisk the egg with the milk, salt, and pepper. Add the scallops and toss gently to coat. Spread the panko on a flat plate and generously coat each scallop.
Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. Carefully add about half of the scallops, one at a time. Cook on the first side for 3 or 4 minutes, until golden brown. (If the panko is browning too quickly, reduce the heat.) Turn over the scallops with tongs and cook on the other side until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Place the cooked scallops on paper towels to soak up extra oil. Fry the rest of the scallops. Serve with lemon wedges.
INGREDIENT NOTES Look for panko in bags or boxes in Asian markets or supermarkets. We often use Sun Luck brand, but any brand with good ingredients is fine.
Ask for “dry” or untreated scallops, ones that have not been treated with STP solution (sodium tripolyphosphate), a preservative.
serving & menu ideas
Serve on a bed of rice with a steamed green vegetable, Peas & Escarole, or refreshing Carrot Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette.
po’ boy sandwich
We’ve come to love Old Bay seasoning for its aromatic flavor. (See photo)
SERVES 4
TIME: 30 MINUTES
FISH FILLETS
¼ cup cornmeal
3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning or other seafood seasoning
4 boneless firm fish fillets (about 6 ounces each)
¼ cup vegetable oil
TOPPING
½ cup Tartar Sauce
1 tablespoon minced red onions
3 romaine lettuce leaves, cut into a rough shred
4 kaiser or sub rolls
1 tomato
Place the cornmeal and Old Bay seasoning in a bag and shake to mix well. Add the fish fillets, close the bag, and shake to coat. (Or mix the cornmeal and seasoning on a plate and press the fish into it to coat.) Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high heat, until hot but not smoking. Add the fish and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place the cooked fish on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
While the fish is frying, in a bowl, stir together the Tartar Sauce and onions, add the lettuce, and toss until evenly coated. Toast the rolls and slice the tomato.
To make the sandwiches, place a fish fillet on the bottom half of each roll. Spoon on some topping, add tomato slices, and cap with the top half of the roll.
serving & menu ideas
Serve with plenty of napkins and a cold drink—and then Peach Brown Betty or Banana Cupcakes.
newport sardine sandwich
An open-faced sandwich that cries out for a glass of cold lemonade or beer.
SERVES 2
TIME: 15 MINUTES
3 slices of whole wheat or rye bread
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mustard
1 small mild onion, such as Bermuda or Vidalia, thinly sliced
1 3.75-ounce can of sardines packed in oil
2 small tomatoes, sliced
Toast the bread until quite crisp. Mix the mayonnaise and mustard and spread on the toast. Top with onion slices. With a fork, lift sardines from the can and put them on the onions. Then use the fork to lightly mash the sardines to cover the onions.
With a sharp knife, cut each sandwich on the diagonal into fourths. Top each piece with a tomato slice.
variations
Try topping the sandwiches with sliced or grated Swiss, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese and pop them under the broiler to melt the cheese.
serving & menu ideas
A bowl of Tomato Tortilla Soup would be perfect with this sandwich.
From top: Yellow Rice, Green Rice, Lemongrass Rice, Coconut Rice
We love the variety of grains available to us—rice of all kinds, quinoa, bulghur, couscous, grits, kasha, and polenta. Grains are nutritious and filling and make wonderful beds for stews, curries, and bean, tofu, fish, and vegetable dishes. We suggest that you cook extra;
