What's On Your Plate???

[kronin323]

I am just glad that I am not allergic to calamari, @kronin323. Trying to incite panic in your FOUKERY

I'm just saying you could probably try oysters and scallops and be just fine...

But stay away from lobster and crabs (TWSS...)

 

[Carrera1963]

Most definitely; I love the information age...

Me too; we're broadly of an age, though I'm a little older - I remember in my youth having to remember everything, but always liked learning something new every day. Sources of information that we have now just make that so much easier.

 

[QLR1]

I'm just saying you could probably try oysters and scallops and be just fine...

But stay away from lobster and crabs (TWSS...)

I dunno, those two things haven't been something I wanted to try. Maybe if they were fried or something.

 

[Pyu76]

I dunno, those two things he and been something I wanted to try. Maybe if they were fried or something.

Shucking raw oysters are yummy

 

[kronin323]

Shucking raw oysters are yummy

Yo, long time no see; how's it going?

 

[Pyu76]

Yo, long time no see; how's it going?

Busy for the most part but got a lil time onmy hand for now.

 

[kronin323]

Speaking of scallops, from last night...

I think I'm gonna try a different approach for this one - instead of starting at the beginning and working up to the final result, I'm gonna start with the final result then show how I got there...

Seared sea scallops with roasted asparagus in a beurre blanc sauce...

When shopping for scallops, try to get "dry packed" ones if you can find them - those are basically shucked and packed with no other processing, while "wet packed" have been soaked in a solution of water and sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) to retain moisture.

The practical difference is the wet packed will contain more moisture and, when searing them, that extra moisture will come out and steam them more than sear them and you don't get that nice crust.

If you can find dry packed scallops, they're ready to cook with no prep other than a little seasoning. If you have to use wet packed, rinse them thoroughly and give them a good period to drain/dry on paper towels. You can firmly pat to squeeze out more moisture, but not too hard or they'll break up...

So here's a dozen U12 sea scallops, meaning that's just over a pound of meat. They weren't labeled dry or wet packed so I treated them as wet, especially because their "bleached white" color can be an indication of wet packing. I gotta say, sitting there raw, they smelled heavenly; was tempted to grab some soy sauce and chow some down as-is...

Now, here's an important step - it surprises me how many places overlook this, especially Asian restaurants...

The scallop will have a little "foot" on the side. This foot ends up being tough and chewy, and may contain some grit (or tiny scallop pearls).

Just tear it off; it comes off easily. Chuck it, cook it separately, whatever...

Seasoned with sea salt and smoked paprika, sear for 2-3 minutes on each side over med-high heat. Do not overcrowd and to not move them around while they sear...

I didn't take any pics of the asparagus while prepping/cooking, but they're pretty easy - coat with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and smoked paprika then roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes...

The beurre blanc sauce it actually the most labor intensive of the bunch, though - I did it before the scallops and the asparagus. Take some white wine, vinegar, and shallots and reduce it down to about a TB of liquid. I added dried parsley, lacking fresh herbs to add later...

Now here's the hard part - take a stick or two of cold butter and whisk it in over low heat a TB at a time. Beurre blanc is an emulsion and if you don't keep whisking and/or melt it too quickly, it'll "break", separating the fats and liquids...

Plate everything then spoon the sauce on top; enjoy! The shrimp and broccolini from the night before were delicious, but this was even better...

 

[QLR1]

 

[Carrera1963]

@kronin323, how popular is asparagus in the US? It's really big here in season and in Germany too (though they grow it underground or in the dark so it stays white). Not seen anyone else go as mad for it.

 

[kronin323]

@kronin323, how popular is asparagus in the US? It's really big here in season and in Germany too (though they grow it underground or in the dark so it stays white). Not seen anyone else go as mad for it.

I can't speak for the entire country but it seems to be quite popular. I cook it fairly often, and I see it served at others' tables. It's common to have a center display at the grocery full of asparagus bundles, and there's always people grabbing them.

It's also a common side in medium to fine dining restaurants. I've even seen sushi rolls with asparagus in them...