Spicy Broiled Scallops →

This spicy butter sauce works equally well with scallops under your broiler,  or freshly shucked oysters done on your grill. For oysters, place a teaspoon of the mixed butter on each oyster; set each oyster on a piece of crumpled tin foil on the grill to keep the shell from tipping out all the delicious buttery juice. Quick, easy, elegant, and simply delicious! Enjoy!

Broiled Scallops
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter

 INGREDIENTS
·  4 ounces sweet butter
·  1 tablespoon hot sauce of your choice (this produces a mild spiciness)
·  ½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
·  1 very small garlic clove or ½ a medium clove finely minced or grated
·  Zest of ½ lemon grated, plus a few drops of lemon juice
·  1 small anchovy fillet rinsed and patted dry
·  8 large sea scallops, hinge muscle removed (preferably fresh or dry chilled)
·  3 tablespoons of dry white wine
·  ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs

PREPARATION
1.  Melt the butter; add hot sauce, Old Bay, garlic, lemon zest, juice, and anchovy. Mix and mash well until the anchovy has dissolved. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and set aside in the fridge until the butter has solidified.
2. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and give them a light sprinkle of salt.
3. Preheat your broiler with the grate 6 inches from the flame.
4. Grease the bottom of an ovenproof skillet or small heat-proof casserole with a small amount of the prepared butter. Assemble the scallops in the skillet/casserole and place dabs of the butter around them and a dab on top of each. Add the wine and sprinkle the scallops with Panko; place under the broiler for 6 minutes or until the Panko turns golden brown. Note: monitor closely so the Panko does not burn.
5. Use tongs to transfer hot scallops to small plates or 3-inch scallop shells. Pour any sauce around each scallop. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve while hot with lemon wedges on the side.

Wine pairing: depending on how spicy your sauce is, for mildly spicy an Albariño, Chablis, Vermentino, Sauvignon Blanc; for spicier sauce, try a Viognier, White Rhone, or a dry Riesling.

Glazed Yin-Yang Shrimp →

This recipe engages all five taste senses marrying the hot bitter savory flavors of blackening spice with a fruity sweet-spicy Asian-inspired glaze that is delicious on shrimp or poultry. If you have any leftover glaze, it will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for a week. Serve these delicious shrimp with a vegetable couscous or rice and veggies for a quick and easy main course, or as a starter salad with mixed greens dressed lightly with a citrus vinaigrette.

Glazed Yin-Yang Shrimp
Serves 4
Soak some bamboo skewers in warm water for at least an hour while you prepare the shrimp. This step will prevent the skewers from burning on the grill.

INGREDIENTS
12-16 extra-large shrimp shelled and deveined (or 8 as a starter)
For the blackening spice:

• 2 ½ tablespoons paprika

• 1 tablespoons salt

• 2 tablespoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons black pepper

• 1 teaspoon white pepper

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. A spice grinder is helpful. Keep in a tightly closed container with your other spices.

For the glaze:

• ¼ cup apricot jam

• 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce (available at any Asian market or the International section of your supermarket)

• 1 tablespoon grated ginger

• 1 teaspoon lime zest

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 2 teaspoons of hot sauce (I used Peachy Habanero Hot Sauce, but any hot sauce will do

• ¼ teaspoon 5 Spice Powder- optional but recommended (available at any Asian market or the International section of your supermarket)

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a slow boil and lower the heat, stirring frequently, until the jam melts and a sauce forms. Simmer over low heat for a few minutes, remove from the heat and allow the flavors to meld for 10 or 15 minutes before using.

PREPARATION
1. Drizzle the shrimp with a tablespoon of olive oil and stir to coat.
2. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of blackening spice over the shrimp and stir to coat well.
3. Allow the shrimp to marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes up to an hour.
4. Thread the shrimp onto the bamboo skewers. (See the photo to thread the shrimp in a yin-yang pattern on the skewers.)
5. Lightly oil the grates on your pre-heated hot grill.
6. Place the shrimp on the hot grill and brush with the sauce; grill for 2 minutes.
7. Flip the shrimp, brush with sauce, and grill for 2 minutes.
8. Remove from the grill to plate and serve while hot.

Wine pairing: dry-Riesling, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Fume Blanc, or Gewürztraminer are good choices to pair with this spicy, fruity dish. Avoid wines with heavy tannins.

Chile Lime Shrimp →

Chile Lime Shrimp… This dish is inspired by traditional Peruvian Chile Lime Shrimp. Less well known in the U.S. than Mexican and Caribbean cuisines, but with its own sophisticated gastronomy and more than its share of world-class chefs, Peruvian cuisine (comida criolla) is a rich mixture of indigenous Andean, African, Asian, and Spanish/European culinary traditions that reflect the history and diverse ethnic composition of the Peruvian population. Serve this dish with a refreshing, colorful Mango Avocado Salad for a light meal that will engage all five taste senses. Alternatively, gift your guests a taste of Peru and serve a plate of these shrimp with lime wedges as hors-d’oeuvres. I hope this simple sample of comida criolla entices you to explore Peruvian cuisine the way it has me. Buen provecho!

Chile Lime Shrimp
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use 16-20 count large shrimp)

• ½ cup lime juice

• Zest of 1 lime finely grated

• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon chile powder

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 Makrut lime leaves, center spine removed, very thinly sliced (optional)

• 4 teaspoons soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons finely minced or grated ginger root

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro

• kick it up a notch with a few drops of your favorite hot sauce

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, chile powder, cumin, cilantro, soy sauce, paprika, and ginger. Add the shrimp to the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Alternatively, my preferred method is to grill the shrimp over direct heat for 1-2 minutes per side depending on the size of your shrimp. Remove from the heat and garnish with cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Wine pairing: a dry Riesling, a demi-sec Vouvray, or a Viognier will compliment this spicy dish.

Anise Scented Scallops with Pea Purée and Tomato Relish →

Tender, anise scented sautéed sea scallops, floating in a sauce of creamy, herbaceous green pea purée. Quick, simple, and elegant as a starter for a special meal, or for a quick and easy mid-week dinner served with noodles, potatoes, or rice and a side salad. Enjoy!

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Anise Scented Scallops with Pea Purée
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 main courses

Ingredients:

• 12 sea scallops (preferably fresh or “dry” frozen, not chemically treated)

• 2 cups frozen green peas

• 1 shallot chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic chopped

• ¼ cup mixed of chopped tarragon and parsley (or just fresh chervil)

• zest from ½ lemon finely grated

• 1 cup of clam juice, chicken, or vegetable stock

• ¼ cup white wine

• 1 tablespoon Anisette, Pernod, Pastis, Absinthe, or other anise-flavored liquor.

• 1-2 tablespoons butter

• ¼ teaspoon white pepper

• salt to taste

• tomato relish for garnish (optional)

• hot sauce (optional) 

Preparation:
Make the pea purée:

1. In a medium saucepan, sauté the garlic and shallot over medium heat until just translucent (not browned).

2. Add the stock and white wine and bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the peas, lemon zest, and white pepper and boil for a minute and remove from heat

4. Strain the peas reserving the liquid.

5. Using a blender or Magic Bullet, add the tarragon and parsley, half the liquid, and the pea mixture and purée until smooth. Add more reserved liquid if necessary to achieve the sauce consistency you want.

6. Taste and adjust the salt to taste. 

Sear the scallops:

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add a tablespoon of butter and swirl until melted. (I also do this outdoors over my gas grill.)

2.  Add the scallops flat side down. Do not crowd and don’t move them for two minutes. Turn over for another 2 minutes and remove from the skillet and set aside.

3. Add the liquor to the still-hot skillet and swirl around for a few seconds. Drizzle over the scallops. 

Assemble the plates:

1. Divide the pea purée equally on your plates and top with the scallops.

2. Garnish each scallop with a teaspoon of chopped fresh tomato relish dressed with a bit of white Balsamic vinegar, minced jalapeño, olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. (optional)

3. Kick it up a notch: sprinkle a few drops of hot sauce of your choice over the pea purée. (optional)

Wine pairing: dry white wines like Chablis, Albariño, Vermentino, or a soft Sauvignon Blanc.