Sea Scallops Poached in Citrus and White Wine with a Spicy Grapefruit Reduction Paired with 2010 Hawk Haven New Jersey Pinot Grigio

After spending New Year's Eve with Friends Don and Beth in Cape May New Jersey, we set out on the first day of 2012 to visit several wineries in the Cape May area.  Among our stops, I was introduced to a true gem at Hawk Haven Vineyard and Winery. Todd and Kenna, owners of Hawk Haven Vineyard do several things exceptionally well - they produce wonderful food friendly wine, they run a warm and welcoming tasting room where they do an exceptional job of describing the wine and their philosophy behind each wine, and they are really nice people.

Hawk Haven Vineyard and Winery is young having produced their first vintage in 2007.  I find the quality of their wines quite amazing given the short time they have been producing.  The food friendly approach to their wines is of particularl interest to me.  For me, this means healthy acidity, a restrained approach which allows the fruit do the talking, and avoiding heavy handed approaches with oak and alcohol.  In other words, their wines are well balanced and begging for a great meal.

When I first tasted the 2010 Pinot Grigio from Hawk Haven Vineyard and Winery, I was immediately impressed with the beautiful floral aroma and stone fruit flavors mingling with hints of lemon in perfect balance with healthy acidity.  The acidity was a component of the wine I tucked away in my memory banks with the thought that this wine could standup to a number of bold dishes.  When conceiving my preparation of citrus and white wine poached sea scallops, the 2010 Pinot Grigio immediately came to mind.

This preparation involves poaching the sea scallops in a medley of white wine, orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime juice.  When plated, the scallops are then drizzled with a spicy grapefruit reduction.  Clearly, this amounts to acid, a bit more acid, and a touch of spicy acid to top it all off.  Anything other than the bold acidity of the 2010 Hawk Haven Pinot Grigio would have fallen flat in the face of this aggressive approach.  The pairing was a match made in heaven as the stone fruit flavors of the Pinot Grigio melded with the citrus bathed scallops.

I have to admit some fear that I had gone overboard with the citrus approach to this dish.  I was afraid that the pepper flakes in combination with the citrus juice medley would overwhelm the delicate sweet brininess of the scallops.  My fears were unwarranted.  The dish was wonderfully balanced with layers of flavor rewarding our senses.

Finally, I need to thank Chef Sue for her spectacular role as sous chef.  I came home from work, jumped into the phone booth and transformed from mild mannered cube dwelling suit guy to chef with an acidic attitude.  Upon entering the kitchen, I found mis en place set for my culinary adventure.  Now that is the way to cook!

Recipes


Ingredients

• 1 pound sea scallops
• 2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
• Juice from two freshly squeezed limes
• Juice from one freshly squeezed lemon
• 2 cups white wine
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup grapefruit, segmented
• Sea salt to taste

Spicy Grapefruit Reduction

Ingredients

• ¾ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• ¾ cup white wine
• zest from ½ lime
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons grenadine
• 2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Yuzu juice
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Combine orange juice, white wine, rice vinegar, lemon juice, carrots, onions, celery, ginger, bay leaf, pepper flakes and peppercorns in large pot. Bring to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
2. While poaching liquid is cooking, prepare Spicy Grapefruit Reduction: Combine grapefruit juice, white wine, grenadine, lime zest, shallots and rice vinegar in small sauce pan. Bring to simmer and reduce volume by ½. Add butter while whisking sauce. Season with salt, to taste.
3. To poach scallops, add scallops to poaching liquid and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove with strainer and reserve warm.
4. To serve, place scallops over grapefruit segments and drizzle with the spicy grapefruit reduction and season with sea salt to taste.

I served the scallops with roasted cauliflower and onions.  Cut a head of cauliflower into bite size segments.  Coarsely chop an onion.  Spread onion and cauliflower over a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt in pepper.  Place in a preheated oven (350 F) for 25 minutes or until edges of cauliflower begin to brown.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Butter Poached Scallops Filet of Flounder over Pesto Fettucini Paired with 2008 Koonowla Clare Valley Riesling and 2008 Fournier Pere & Fils Sancerre Cuvee Silex

Just about a year ago, I prepared and posted an article featuring butter poached divers scallops, flounder filet over pesto fettucini.  This meal was a last minute gig and I was not prepared to photograph and did not put much thought into a wine pairing.  Since the original post, I prepared it again, made an appropriate wine pairing, and of course, took care of the photography.

For the recipes, please follow the link to the original post.  In this post, I will talk about the wine selection and the joy of our wine pairing (as well as share photographs of round 2).

In my original post, I recommended a dry riesling.  I stick by this recommendation and believe it to be a good choice.  However, I did not fully follow my own recommendation and decided to take another path.  One of the great things about food and wine pairing is that there is not a single answer.  Wines with completely different characteristics can work with a meal for dramatically divergent reasons.  This time around I chose a 2008 Koonowla Clare Valley Riesling and 2008 Fournier Pere & Fils Sancerre Cuvee Silex.

My choice was made on the basis of the need for acidity to balance the richness of the butter poached scallops and prominent bright fruit to balance the strength of the pesto.  The 2008 Koonowla Clare Valley Riesling answered brilliantly on both accounts with very nice acidity coupled with bright lemon and green apple fruit flavors.  This part of the pairing was brilliant.

The 2008 Fournier Pere & Fils Sancerre Cuvee Silex from Loire France worked spectacularly with respect to the acidity.  This wine is clean and crisp.  However, the fruit was more subdued than the Riesling and was balanced with the minerality one would expect from a Sancerre.  We were very pleased with the less prominent grapefruit flavors balanced with the minerality and how well this played with the pesto.  This was a pleasant surprise that brought smiles around the table.

As we enter the summer months, this is a somewhat rich yet refreshing meal with equally refreshing wines.  I will not repost the recipes here, but encourage you to visit my prior post for the details (butter poached divers scallops, flounder filet over pesto fettucini).

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Pan Seared Scallops over Sautéed Spinach and Chipotle Cream Sauce Paired with 2010 Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay

When it comes to the Christmas and New years holidays, our family has a tradition of doing something, uh, non-traditional.  For example past holidays have included; Christmas in Machu Picchu, Christmas in Galipan (a village in the mountains outside Caracas - like taking a step back in time by about 100 years), Christmas in Chef Sue’s restaurant giving away Christmas meals, Christmas and New Year’s in Disney (doesn’t sound unique, but it becomes more so when you are doing it with your adult children and it becomes a culinary/drinkfest!), and so on.

This year, Chef Sue, Soon to be 1stLT Ryan and I went to Atlantic City, NJ to attend a Viking cooking school at Harrah’s Casino.  We then went on to spend New Year’s Eve and the following day with great friends and hosts Don and Beth.  First, let’s get on with the Viking Cooking School.

We have attended cooking classes at CIA Greystone, Sur La Table, Army Navy Country Club,Cook Street, Chef Sue’s 28 year sous-chef indenture program, and now the Viking School at Harrah’s.  Each of these were handled quite differently, and I now feel I have sufficient data to suggest a desirable formula – from the participant perspective.  And just so we are clear, these are not professional chef classes – these are intended for cooking enthusiasts.  I will not critique each of the classes, but I will tell you that Viking did it best albeit not perfectly.  Harvesting the best from each, here is my recipe for an ideal cooking class:

1. Start with a cocktail or a glass of wine.  Liability? How about responsibility?  Screw it – have a drink and get to know the Chef.
2. Construct cooking teams of no more than four with prep tables sized for a team of four.
3. Don’t forget the basics; bar rags, sanitizer, convenient bus cart, and aprons to send home with the students - with your logo.
4. Each team should prepare all the dishes on the menu – don’t divide the cooking among teams.
5. Have the prep tables fully stocked and ready to go.  The students may not know the definition of mise en place, but they will appreciate it!
6. Sharp knives! Always offer a short lesson on knife technique.
7. Use top-notch gear.  Nobody wants to attend a cooking class and realize their home kitchen is better equipped.
8. If something needs to go in the oven, have the oven preheated!
9. Don’t use prepared food.  Going to a cooking class and opening a jar or can of anything is unforgivable.  Only use fresh ingredients.
10. Make sure your ovens and cook tops are correctly installed (leveling was a problem more than once – uneven heating in the oven another fault).
11. For the instructors:  When there is a reason for doing something, say so!  Anyone can read a recipe, but not everyone understands the “why?”  Explain the purpose and process of correctly preparing things like a rue - why it works the way it does.  This is important for the novices, and the more experienced participants will understand.
12. Ensure you have a motivated and friendly kitchen support crew to clean an prep between courses.  In other words, while the team is working the skillet, a kitchen team should be cleaning the prep table and making it ready for the next task.
13. Include at least one element of technique the average cook could use to improve on their passion(more is better…up to a certain point of saturation that varies depending on the skills of the participants).  EVERYONE needs to go home having learned something…even the better cooks.
14. Serve the fruits of class labor at a nice dining table.  Standing around a stainless prep table in the kitchen is not classy.
15. Serve the dinner with wine paired to the dishes – and not the bottom of the shelf.  Need to charge more for that?  Go for it…the result is so much better.  Oh, and read my blog - understand why the wine and food go together, and talk about it.  This should not be a matter of “try it, you’ll like it.”
16. Offer doggy bags.  Not only will your students appreciate it, they may take the leftovers home, share them with neighbors Barney and Wilma, and you may get a recommendation.

Wow, when I started writing the list, I had now idea it would be so long.  But now that I have the magic formula, maybe I should start my own cooking school!  But before I do that, I know you have taken a cooking class and found things you liked or disliked.  Let me know!  We can grow the list and outline the five star formula for cooking classes.

Now on to the rest of our New Year’s events.  Our weekend was principally composed of sightseeing around Cape May New Jersey with Don and Beth along with a couple of stops at Cape May wineries.  I was impressed with both wineries, but fell in love with one – Hawk Haven Vineyards and Winery.  Hawk Haven is committed to producing authentic French Style wines and is doing a wonderful job.  Of course we picked up a few bottles, so you will be hearing more about Hawk Haven.

The weekend was capped off by a wonderful dinner of Pan Seared Scallops over Sautéed Spinach and Chipotle Cream Sauce prepared by Beth.  The meal was paired with Don and Beth’s standby favorite Chardonnay - Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay.  The chipotle cream sauce was a wonderful addition to the buttery sweet scallops, and the wine echoed the creamy buttery flavors while offering mouth watering acidity - a perfect complement to the scallops.

Tasting notes from the winemaker:

Golden yellow color with a pale hue. Seductive aromas of peach, melon, and citrus are balanced with honeysuckle and vanilla. On the palate, flavors of pears, peaches and melons are backed with lively acidity. A nice touch of vanilla-scented oak provides an added flavor dimension. The creamy palate has a lingering finish of melon and citrus fruit with a satisfying buttery complexity. Our favorite pairing for this wine includes scallops in a cream sauce, pasta carbonara, chicken risotto and Cornish game hen.

Next year for the holidays, I recommend a cooking class – one that meets my list of requirements for the ideal class.  At minimum, find some time to spend with friends…you can’t go wrong.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Craig’s Simple Retort–Cod, Shrimp, and Bay Scallops in a Garlic Butter Sauce Over Linguini Paired with 2006 Naked Mountain Barrel Fermented Virginia Chardonnay

In my last post “Fresh Seafood Medley of Cod Fillet, Shrimp, And Bay Scallops in a Turmeric Basil Marinade with Mushroom Risotto and Garlic Sautéed Brussels Sprouts Paired with 2009 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay” I featured a creation by Chef Sue inspired by the idea of simply prepared seafood designed to let the beautiful flavors of the seafood shine.  For the full back-story, I encourage you to check out the last post.  In short, this pairing is my interpretation of the same idea.  Chef Sue and I took dramatically different approaches.  In my opinion (the only one that counts because I am doing the writing) my interpretation was closer to the original inspiration.  However, the consensus opinion was that both interpretations were exceedingly pleasurable – it was a gastronomic draw.  Although we are very competitive (in a friendly way), a draw is good, both from the food enjoyment perspective and that of maintaining a healthy marriage.

Based on the inspiration for this pairing, I limited the recipe to just a few simple ingredients.  The stars of the performance were the cod, shrimp, and bay scallops.  Each were prepared with just a few ingredients; olive oil, butter, garlic, fresh squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper over a small bed of linguini.  The result was the spectacular flavor of fresh seafood with simple support from the other ingredients.  In addition to the warm, sweet, fresh, and buttery flavors of the seafood, the other ingredients served to only support while not overpowering the brine and sea scents extracted through the cooking process.  This dish is rich and indulgent – the type that makes your eyes roll back in your head from the simple extravagance of well prepared food porn.

Now on to the wine.  I am a big supporter of supporting locally grown and produced everything.  It just makes sense.  Stuff that is produced locally is much less energy intensive (transportation) and we all want our local folks, who are working hard, to succeed.  However, when it comes to wine, the mid-Atlantic region has not yet hit it’s stride.  I want to enjoy locally produced wine, but so far I have not been impressed.  For the Virginia and Maryland area this is likely a matter of maturity and technical winemaking execution.  I also believe it is a matter of this region searching for an identity and style much like Napa Valley in the 1970s.

The 2006 Naked Mountain Barrel Fermented Virginia Chardonnay gives me hope.  While this wine will not strike fear into the increasingly restrained (thank you!) California Chardonnay producers, this was an enjoyable Chardonnay that I will buy again.  The winemaker does not provide tasting notes for this vintage on their website, but here is my assessment; aromas are dominated by toasted oak, vanilla, pineapple and nutmeg while the palette produces strong citrus, apple, pear, caramel, vanilla and finishes with grapefruit, butter, and a healthy portion of oak.  If you like big, full bodied, fruity, well structured Chardonnays with plenty of oak, you will like this wine.  While I enjoyed it, I personally prefer a more restrained expression of Chardonnay.  There is nothing restrained about this wine.  If the flavor profile I described fits your likes, this wine is a good value at $15.

When I purchased this wine, I was drawn to the tasting notes that could not say enough about the butter flavors.  Exactly what I was looking for in the pairing – a buttery Chardonnay to complement the sweet buttery flavors featured in the seafood and sauce.  While the tasting did not reveal as strong a butter profile as promised, the butter flavor was present and complimented the dish nicely.  The fruitiness and well balanced acidity worked exceptionally well with the sweet components of the dish.  The strong oak was the only discord in this otherwise harmonious melody.  The oak lingered too long and began to detract from the principal flavors.  When I prepare this again, I will look for a similarly buttery and fruity Chardonnay with less emphasis on the oak.

Recipes

Baked Cod

Ingredients

• 1 pound cod fillet
• 1/2 pound linguini
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice from 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Boil water and cook linguini while preparing the rest of the recipe.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
3. Cut fillet into two serving sized pieces
4. Season both sides of the fillet with salt and pepper
5. Place fillet on aluminum foil large enough to seal in a "tent"
6. Distribute garlic over length of fillet
7. Drizzle olive oil evenly over fillet then add the lemon juice.
8. Fold aluminum foil into an enclosed tent, place on a sheet pan and place in oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until fish just begins to flake when prodded with a fork.

Pan Sautéed Shrimp and Bay Scallops

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bay scallops
• 1/2 pound shrimp with heads on - cleaned
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small lemon freshly squeezed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Heat butter and olive oil and garlic in heavy skillet over medium heat.
2. Once butter is melted, add scallops and lemon juice.
3. After five minutes, add shrimp and season to taste.
4. Continue to sauté for five minutes turning the scallops and shrimp after 2 1/2 minutes.

To serve over pasta with a garlic butter sauce:

Ingredients

• Remaining butter/oil/juice from the scallop and shrimp sauté
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

1. Add butter to remaining sauté sauce.
2. Add all ingredients and melt butter over low heat.
3. Stir well and drizzle over pasta and seafood.

In vino vertias, buen provecho.

Craig

Fresh Seafood Medley of Cod Fillet, Shrimp, And Bay Scallops in a Turmeric Basil Marinade with Mushroom Risotto and Garlic Sautéed Brussels Sprouts Paired with 2009 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay

Chef Sue and I were recently inspired by Anthony Bourdain (“No Reservations” on the Travel Channel) and Luke’s Lobster (see my recent post “Maine Lobster Roll from Luke’s Lobster Paired with 2008 Ledson Sonoma Coast Tres Frais Chardonnay”).  Let’s start with the Luke’s Lobster part of the inspiration.  In my post featuring a pairing of a Taste of Maine from Luke’s Lobster, I completely gushed about the simple elegance of the lobster roll, shrimp roll, and crab roll.  The application of condiments and flavors supporting the seafood was light handed and clearly designed to let the star of the show stand in the spotlight.  It was simple, and it was spectacular.

Now for the Anthony Bourdain part of the inspiration.  Chef Bourdain produced a series of episodes focusing on the history and future of El Bulli in Costa Brava Spain led by the incredible Chef Ferran Adria.  Chef Adria and his phenomenal work at the culinary Mecca of El Bulli are known for a lot of things – simplicity is not one of them.  With 50 course meals served in “The Best Restaurant in the World” at a meticulous pace and deft sequencing using Chef Adria’s research into molecular gastronomy, El Bulli is anything but simple.

In one of the episodes, Bourdain accompanies Chef Adria to his favorite coastal restaurant that features only seafood served fresh within hours of being caught.  This fresh flavors are further focused by simplicity in preparation with only minimal ingredients – olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon, and garlic.

The combined inspiration of Luke’s Lobster and Anthony Bourdain is clear; prepare seafood simply, with minimal ingredients, and let the flavor of the seafood shine.  The pairing featured in this post is Chef Sue’s interpretation of this challenge to present seafood in all it’s rich simplicity.  I have to admit that I planned to take a more literal translation of the Anthony Bourdain experience and limit myself to the seafood, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon, and garlic.  Alas, it was the weekend, and it was Chef Sue’s cooking therapy time.  Check back soon to see my interpretation as our friendly kitchen competition rages on.

Although Chef Sue took a bit bolder approach than I had conceived, I am oh so happy she did.  This was a wonderfully balanced dish with layer upon layer of complimentary and contrasting flavors.  The umami filled mushroom risotto is the foundation layer.  Add to that the pleasant bitter flavors of the garlic sautéed Brussels sprouts, and finally the pinnacle of this pyramid; sweet shrimp and scallops marinated in olive oil, garlic, fresh squeezed lemon, ground turmeric, diced tomato, and finely chopped basil – surrounding a beautiful cod fillet broiled under a generous coating of the marinade.  In other words, we have a solid umami foundation, very mild bitterness from the Brussels sprouts and garlic to contrast with the delicate sweetness of the seafood, all balanced with the acid from lemon juice and tomatoes.  Simply brilliant.  As a side note, Chef Sue applied a deft hand with the addition of the turmeric to the marinade.  This addition was intended to add color rather than flavor.  She accomplished this with alacrity – great color, and only the slightest hint of added flavor.

For the pairing, I selected a 2009 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay from the dangerously low selection of white wines in the Corl wine vault (I will work on remedying this soon – subtle hint to the wine makers – send me something, I will work with it!).  Here are the tasting notes from Benziger:

“The southern end of Sonoma produces wines with crisp acidity and fresh citrus flavors. On the palate, the wine is supple and long, with a touch of oak and butterscotch cookie in the finish. Enjoy with fried calamari, scallops in a light curry sauce, crab cakes, filet of sole with almonds, or turkey Panini.”

Our experience with the wine confirmed the bright citrus and crisp acidity which formed a perfect balance with the seafood.  Both Chef Sue and I translated the “butterscotch cookie” as more of a buttery flavor (probably a subtle distinction) which gave the sensation of pouring a perfect portion of clarified butter over the seafood – a natural combination.  The oak was subtle, pleasant, and did not detract from the wonderful layers of flavor mutually enhanced by the food and the wine.  In summary, the Benziger Chardonnay was a perfectly balanced compliment in all respects and achieved the “better than the sum of the parts” result we relentlessly pursue.  At $29, the 2009 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay is a good value and can be ordered online at http://www.benziger.com/2009_wentechard.

Remember to check back soon to see my interpretation of simplicity applied to a seafood medley of cod fillet, shrimp, and bay scallops.  I’m pretty sure this will be another Chardonnay pairing with a focus on buttery flavors.  If you have a wine you would like to suggest for this pairing, let me know.

Recipes

Garlic Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

You don’t need me to tell you how to do this.  Clean some garden fresh Brussels sprouts, halve them, and sauté with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 lb assorted fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup Arborio rice
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 ounce fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1 ounce fresh grated Romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Sautee mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil and butter for two to three minutes.
2. Add rice. Stir until center of rice looks like a pearl - translucent white
3. Add chicken stock 1/4 cup at a time. Continue to add as the liquid evaporates
4. Continue adding stock and stirring until rice is tender - you may not use all of the chicken stock.
5. When rice is tender, stir in grated cheese.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Garnish with chives.

Marinated Broiled Cod Fillet, Shrimp and Bay Scallops

Ingredients

• One pound (mas o menos) cod filet
• 1/2 pound fresh shrimp with heads on - cleaned
• 1/2 pound fresh bay scallops
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Juice from 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon for marinade and other half for cod fillet.
• 1 large tomato diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Combine olive oil, basil, turmeric, and diced tomato in a bowl for marinating the shrimp and scallops
2. Add shrimp and scallops to the marinade and toss to coat well
3. Cover your broiling pan with tin foil with a few holes poked in it
4. Broil cod and scallops first - 2 inches from broiler, covered with marinade and lemon juice
5. After five minutes, add the shrimp and broil for another four minutes.

In vino veritas, buen provecho

Craig

Butter Poached Divers Scallops, Flounder Fillet over Pesto Fettuccini Paired with a Dry Riesling

Sorry friends, no great food photography for this post, but I have arranged for a suitable stand in – some photography from the Washing DC Maine Avenue Fish Market.  In all honesty, this pairing was a completely unplanned and happy coincidence that started with a hyper-productive basil plant in the garden of Chef Sue.  This recipe was built from from the base up.  Here is the stream of consciousness that occurred yesterday afternoon:

1. Oooh, lots of basil.  What to do?
2. Basil = Pesto.  Yes!!!
3. Pesto needs pasta – fettuccini.  Yes!!!
4. What do we have that might like to sit on a bed of pesto fettuccini?  Flounder fillet.  Yes!!!
5. But why stop at the flounder?  If we could just add one more thing, this may turn into something really special.  Scallops!!!

So there you have it.  I told Chef Sue what I was up to, and she picked up the scallops on the way home and a bottle of mass produced Riesling.  We will not spend much time on the wine, but I will comment that even though this was a non-vintage $5 bottle of Riesling, the pairing worked well.  I think a dryer and bit more sophisticated Riesling would have been better, but this was an unplanned pairing and completely adequate.  If you are like me, I can’t afford to drink the wine I would like to drink whenever I want to drink it.

One of the reasons the Riesling worked was the addition of a very light breading to the fillets that included some cayenne pepper for a hint of piquancy.  The sweetness of the Riesling was a nice contrast to the pepper while also complementing the sweet butter flavors of the scallops, flounder, and the garlic butter sauce that was drizzled over the top.

This was a super easy dish to prepare and took only 30 minutes.  Before presenting the recipes, let me set up the process that gets you to a 30 minute meal:

1. Boil the water for the pasta
2. Preheat oven to 375, and prep fillets to go in the oven. 20 – 25 minutes in the oven.
3. Make Pesto.
4. At 6 minutes to go before the fillets are done, prepare the scallops and garlic butter sauce.

Recipes

Pesto

Stick with me here, because this will be a description of what I made, rather than a precise recipe.  But honestly, I have tasted so many pesto recipes, each with their own little twist, this is more a matter of being in the ball park than being precise.

I started by visiting Chef Sue’s garden and picked enough basil leaves to fill the bowl of a mini food processors (about 5 inches in diameter and 4 inches tall).  To this I added a handful (pretty precise, huh?) of almonds.  Yes, I said almonds and not pine nuts.  Pine nuts are expensive and over rated – the almonds worked fine (and I happened to have them).  Add a tablespoon of minced garlic, and about a one ounce chunk of parmesan cheese.  Pulse the food processor until you have a coarse cut.  Then begin to add olive oil slowly as you continue to pulse.  Continue to add the olive oil until you achieve a consistency you like.  Season to taste.  Easy stuff.

Later on, when your pasta is done, add the pesto to the pasta and combine completely to coat the pasta.  Rely on the heat of the pasta – there is no need to heat the pesto.

Baked Flounder Fillets

Again, this is soooo easy, I’m going with a description rather than a normal recipe format.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Dredge your fillets (any nice white fish will do, no need to stick with flounder – I am a huge fan of cod and haddock) in a mixture of of corn flower or corn meal with a small amount of cayenne pepper.  This can be adjusted according to your taste.  I went for the subtle side.

Place the fillets on a sheet pan, add some sliced onions on each fillet along with a squeeze of lemon or lime, a drizzle of butter, and season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes.  Your goal is firm fish that flake easily with a fork.

Butter Poached Scallops in a Garlic Butter Sauce

In a small skillet, sauté 1/2 onion and a tablespoon of garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter.  When the onions soften, add two more tablespoons of butter, and push the onions to one side of the small skillet.  Add the scallops at medium high heat.  For a serving of two, I used five divers scallops (big ones – an inch + in height) cut in half to make 10 smaller scallops about 1/2 inch thick.  The butter should cover at least the bottom half of the scallops (this is really a matter of picking the right size skillet – small).  After two minutes, flip the scallops and continue for another two minutes.

Plating

Begin with a bed of pesto fettuccini, then add a fillet.  Over the fillet, arrange five scallops.  Over the whole construction, spoon on the sautéed onions and garlic in which the scallops were prepared.  Garnish with parsley and a lemon wedge.

Final Words

This recipe and pairing was a happy coincidence.  It was not planned.  It just happened, and I am glad it did.  Give it a try with a dry Riesling.  You will not be disappointed.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig