Scallops with Corn, Hazelnuts, and Brown Butter Chermoula

We liked this simple recipe. Scallops are always a winner and the combination of Corn, Hazelnuts and Brown Butter added a great complexity to the taste. It is a keeper of a recipe.

Scallops with Corn, Hazelnuts, and Brown Butter Chermoula

Dining In

Alison Roman

Serves 4

1-1/4   pounds sea scallops, muscle removed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2          tablespoons canola oil

2          tablespoons  (¼ stick) unsalted butter

2          garlic cloves, finely chopped

2          teaspoons coriander seed or 1/2 teaspoon ground

1          teaspoon cumin seed or ½ teaspoon ground

1          teaspoon hot or smoked paprika

½         teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2          cups corn (from about 3 ears; frozen will work in a pinch)

¼         cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

14 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

NOTE: This dish also works with medium shrimp head on or off.

I'll admit that I find seared scallops to be sort of 1997, but they are also undeniably delicious and maybe even my favorite seafood, tragically unhip as they may be. You know what else I find uncool? Sautéed corn. So I guess you could say that this is one of the lamest dishes in the book, but you know what? It's so delicious I don't care. Maybe like mom jeans, both will come back into style by the time this book comes out.

1. Season the scallops with salt and black pepper. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops, pressing slightly when adding them to ensure they make good contact with the skillet. Cook until they’re deeply golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, flip each scallop over and continue to cook until browned on that side as well, another 5 minutes.

2.Transfer the scallops to a large plate or baking sheet:

3. Melt the butter in the skillet, letting it foam up and get all browned and wonderful. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits left over from the scallops into the mix (those bits are what dreams are made of). Cook the spices until toasted and fragrant, a minute or so.

4.   Add the corn, season with salt and black pepper, and toss to coat. Cook until the corn is bright yellow and evenly coated in all the spice business. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantrq

5. Serve the scallops with the corn mixture, sprinkling the toasted hazelnuts on top.

TO TOAST NUTS, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet (you could use a rimless one, but they slide off easily, so be prepared to pick up nuts off the floor for at least a few weeks). Toast, shaking the baking sheet once or twice, until the nuts are evenly and deeply toasted, anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes (closer to 8 for things like pecans and hazelnuts, closer to 12 for larger walnuts, almonds, and cashews). When you break open the nuts, they should be toasted to the core, smell like buttered toast, and be nuttier tasting than when they went in.

I love the taste and look of leaving the skins on nuts, especially hazelnuts. While the skin on the almonds will stay put, the hazelnut skins will want to kind of slip off as they toast, and this is okay. To get rid of the skins that want to shed, place warm hazelnuts in a dishtowel and just move them around like you're playing with a bag of marbles. Don't worry about getting all the skin off (I like the kind of toasty, bitter flavor it lends); just focus on the papery bits that want to fall off anyway.

Grilled Soy-Basted Chicken Thighs With Spicy Cashews

Grilled Soy-Basted Chicken Thighs With Spicy Cashews

New York TImes

This recipe sounds better than our execution of it. It is a one and done for us.

Here's a hack I performed on a recipe for an appetizer portion of skewered chunked chicken thighs that the great live-fire cooks and cookbook writers Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby wrote many years ago, and that I have slowly altered into a main-course grilled dinner. The skinless chicken browns nicely over a medium flame, and the sugary soy basting sauce lacquers it beautifully in the final few minutes of cooking. It's terrific with rice, or as a topping for a salad of sturdy greens. You may wish to double the recipe for sriracha-roasted cashews. Those are addictive, and for them you will find many delicious uses.

Ingredients

½      cup unsalted cashews

2       tablespoons sriracha sauce

3       tablespoons toasted sesame oil

½      cup plus 3 tablespoons soy sauce

2       tablespoons hoisin sauce

1       ablespoon cracked black pepper

Hot sauce, to taste

2 ½  pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

¼      cup brown sugar (light or dark) or molasses

2       tablespoons peeled and minced ginger

4 scallions, sliced thin

5 or 6 springs cilantro, tough stems removed and roughly chopped (approximately 2 tablespoons)

Preparation

1.  Heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine cashews and sriracha sauce in a small bowl and stir until nuts are coated. Line a small baking pan with foil and spread the coated cashews out on it, then place in the oven and bake until nuts are dry, approximately 20 minutes. Carefully remove the nuts from the foil and let cool, then chop roughly and set aside in a small bowl.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together sesame oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, the hoisin sauce and the black pepper, and hot sauce if using. Add chicken thighs and stir to coat. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

3.  For the basting sauce, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, the brown sugar and the ginger in a small bowl, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.

4.  When you are ready to cook the chicken, build a fire in a charcoal grill, leaving about 1/3 of the cooking space free of coals. When coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds), you are ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn one burner to high, leaving the others off, then lower cover and heat for 15 minutes.)

5.  Using tongs, remove chicken thighs from marinade and cook, directly over the coals, turning every few minutes, until they are well-browned but not crusty, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Then, using a pastry brush, begin to baste them with the soy, ginger and sugar mixture, until they develop a lacquer, an additional 8 to 10 minutes, again turning every few minutes. (If chicken threatens to burn, place it over the part of the grill without coals.)

6.  Transfer chicken to a warmed platter, sprinkle with the chopped cashews, the scallions and the cilantro, and serve.

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Goan Shrimp

We had Barbara over for dinner. She is a great baker and made a plum tart. It was delicious. We made a seasonal favorite, Tomato Soup with Cumin and Figs. This is a very tasty soup that I really like. It is very thick with both dried and fresh figs. The taste of Cumin makes the soup have a wonderful earthy flavor. You can find the soup recipe on our blog of: August 20, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

For the main course we made a favorite:  Goan Shrimp. You can find the recipe for Goan Shrimp on our Blog of: August 9, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

Spicy Minced Shrimp with Rice Noodles

We didn't like this as much as we thought we would. Won't make again. But give it a try if you want to.

Spicy Minced Shrimp with Rice Noodles

New York Times

Here, a little shrimp — chopped, spiced and tossed with rice noodles — goes a long way.

Stir-fried pieces of spiced shrimp bring deep flavor and bite to rice noodles in this weeknight recipe.

Here’s how to feed a family of four with a pound of shrimp: It starts with a visit to the fish market, and ends with a dish of spicy, deeply flavorful shrimp-flecked rice noodles.

You’ll first want to look for wild shrimp in the shell, fresh or frozen, unless you have access to sustainably raised farmed shrimp. Be aware that most farmed frozen shrimp, though inexpensive, are of dubious origin, and are likely dipped in some kind of preservative solution. I’d rather get a small amount of higher-priced wild shrimp. 

Ask to have the shrimp peeled and deveined, or do it yourself at home. Then, start chopping: Using a large knife, cut the shrimp crosswise into rough quarter- to half-inch pieces. In a few minutes, you’ll have a nice pile. 

Just a tablespoon of dried shrimp deepens the flavor of this dish.Karsten Moran for The New York Times

You are essentially making a flavorful mixture of spiced minced shrimp that’s similar in shape and bite to crumbled sausage. You’ll add ginger, garlic, soy sauce, scallions, sesame oil and hot red pepper and let the flavors meld: The longer it rests in the fridge, the more aromatic the mixture becomes. (By the way, this mixture could also be used as a won ton filling, but that’s another story and a bigger project.)

For this recipe, an optional but desirable ingredient is dried shrimp, found in Latin American and Asian grocers. I buy mine in Manhattan’s Chinatown, where a generic type and a superior quality wild dried shrimp from Louisiana are available. It’s surprising how just a tablespoon deepens the flavor of the shrimp mixture. (If you do end up seeking out dried shrimp, don’t let it languish in the back of your pantry: It can also be used to enhance fish stews.)

The chopped shrimp is stir-fried over high heat until it sizzles.Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Once you’ve marinated the chopped shrimp, stir-fry it in a large wok or frying pan over high heat until it sizzles and achieves a crumbly texture, just as you would when frying any other sort of minced meat. It’s then combined with cooked rice noodles, just to heat them through and coat them with the well-seasoned shrimp meat and its juices. 

Sprinkled with chopped peanuts and a few herb sprigs, your dinner for four is ready. It’s that easy.

This is an easy dish to make, but the method is a bit unusual. First, you make what is essentially a flavorful sausage-like mixture of chopped shrimp (which could also be used as a won ton filling), then stir-fry the mixture over high heat until it crumbles, releasing its flavor into the pan. To make it a simple, satisfying meal, this stir-fry is tossed with cooked rice noodles. If you can find it, dried shrimp, available in most Asian or Latin American grocers, add depth: Keep an eye out for some from Louisiana, made with wild shrimp. 

Ingredients

1       pound dry flat rice noodles(sometimes called rice stick noodles)

About 1 pound wild shrimp, in the shell, fresh, or frozen and thawed (about 24 pieces)

2       fresh red Fresno chiles or green Serrano chiles, seeds removed, if desired, finely chopped (or substitute 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes)

2       tablespoon dried shrimp, finely chopped (optional)

1       tablespoon rice vinegar

2       tablespoons soy sauce

2       teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus 1 teaspoon for drizzling

2       tablespoons mirin or sherry (if using sherry add 1 teaspoon sugar)

1       teaspoon grated garlic(about 2 or 3 cloves)

1       tablespoon grated ginger

1       teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as necessary

3       tablespoons chopped scallions

3       tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil

Basil leaves, cilantro sprigs and 2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish

Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1.  Soak noodles in a large bowl of lukewarm water. Leave until softened but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside. (Alternately, boil noodles for 2 or 3 minutes, then drain and rinse well with cold water.)

2.  Meanwhile, peel shrimp and make the seasoned shrimp mixture: With a large knife, cut the shrimp crosswise into rough 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. In a large bowl, combine shrimp, chopped chiles, dried shrimp (if using), rice vinegar, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, mirin, garlic, ginger, salt and scallions. Mix well to distribute ingredients throughout. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or, preferably, up to 24 hours).

3.  Put coconut oil in a large wok or wide cast-iron skillet over high heat. When oil looks wavy, add shrimp-sausage mixture, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it looks crumbly. Stir-fry until pieces are lightly browned, about 3 or 4 minutes.

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4.  Add noodles to pan and toss briefly, just to heat through. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Taste and add a little more salt if necessary. Transfer to bowls and garnish with basil leaves, cilantro sprigs, chopped peanuts and lime wedges, if using.

Lamb Salad

Perfect use of leftovers! 

Roasted Chicken Provençal

Roasted Chicken is something I never tire of. I love the crispy skin, which to me is the hallmark of great roasted chicken. There are many different Roasted Chicken  recipes we make all are good. This one is especially excellent. You can find the recipe for Roasted Chicken Provençal on our blog of April 6, 2015. Click the date to get the recipe.

Lamb Cutlets with Walnut, Fig and Goat’s Cheese Salad

I was in the mood for lamb chops and Cathy found this wonderful recipe for Lamb Cutlets with Walnut, Fig and Goat’s Cheese Salad in Ottolenghi the Cookbook. We like almost all of his recipes. On our recent trip to London we got to eat at his restaurant: Nopi. It was excellent. We seem to be eating a lot of figs recently, but they are in season, so why not?

Lamb cutlets with walnut, fig and goat’s cheese salad

Ottolenghi the Cookbook

serves 4

12          lamb cutlets, French trimmed (you can ask your butcher to do this)

coarse sea salt and black pepper

Marinade

leaves from 6 thyme sprigs, roughly chopped
leaves from 1 rosemary sprig,     roughly chopped

2             garlic cloves, crushed

6             tbsp olive oil

Sauce

125ml    freshly squeezed orange juice

60ml      red wine vinegar

50g        honey

1             star anise

1             cinnamon stick

Salad

50g        walnuts, broken

100g      soft goat’s cheese, crumbled

20g        mint leaves

25g        flat-leaf parsley leaves

2             tbsp olive oil

4             fresh figs, halved or quartered

1.  First you need to marinate the lamb. Take the cutlets, throw the marinade ingredients on and massage them lightly into the meat. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2.  Now prepare the sauce. Place all the ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan, stir and put over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until reduced by two-thirds. Remove from the heat and keep somewhere warm.

3.  Place the walnuts in a non-stick frying pan and toast over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

4.  To finish the dish, heat up a barbecue or griddle pan until piping hot. Season both sides of the lamb cutlets with salt and pepper. Place on the heat for 3-4 minutes on each side; this will give rare to medium meat. Cook longer if you prefer. Remove the lamb from the grill and leave to rest in a warm place for 2 minutes. While you wait, gently toss together all the salad ingredients, apart from the figs, seasoning with salt and pepper. Make sure the components stay separate and that the cheese doesn’t smear the leaves.

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5.  To serve, put the cutlets on serving plates, pile the salad next to the them and the figs alongside. Spoon a scant tablespoon of sauce over each portion of lamb and drizzle a small amount of it over the figs and salad. Serve at once.

Scallops and Sausage

This was a simple meal to go with the left over Corn Risotto. Sautéed Scallops are a breeze to make and I decided to to also sauté some Sausages from McCall's Meat and Fish. You can get the recipe for Sautéed Scallops on our blog of: May 25, 2017. Click the date to get the recipe.

Chicken Braised with Figs, Honey & Vinegar

When figs are at their prime we ALWAYS make Chicken Braised with Figs, Honey & Vinegar. This is a great recipe it has it all: Crisp Chicken Skin, a wonderful sauce and sweet figs. It is great. If you haven't made it you should. you can find the recipe on our blog of: June 27, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.  We started with Melon and Spec as an appetizer.