Sea Scallop Brochettes with Almond-Chile Sauce

Recipe: Sea Scallop Brochettes with Almond-Chile Sauce
Page: 227
Date Cooked: March 30, 2013

I cannot believe I get to say this..... THIS IS MY LAST RECIPE for this project. I plan on posting an overall experience post, that way I don't take away from this recipe itself. You may recall that I've mentioned snow still on the ground in the last few posts. Accordingly when it warmed up just a bit, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to do this final recipe.

Ingredients: Sea scallops, olive oil, limes, radishes, tomatoes, garlic, raw almonds, jalapeno chile, peanut oil, Kosher salt, pepper, Belgian endive, and cilantro

I tossed the scallops in olive oil, covered, and refrigerated. I also juiced a lime, cut the other lime into wedges, halved the radishes, diced the tomatoes, and minced the garlic.

Left: Scallops toasted in olive oil
Right: Juiced and wedged limes

I spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toasted until they turned golden. I set them aside to cool. I also blackened, blistered, steamed, peeled, and minced the jalapeno.

Toasting almonds

Then it was on to making the almond-chile sauce. I combined the peanut oil, olive oil, garlic, and almonds in a food processor and pulsed to a puree. I then added half the lime juice and the chile, puree-ed until smooth. I added half the diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper and puree-ed again.

Making the almond-chile sauce

I moved on to preparing the brochettes. I used two skewers, side-by-side, and alternatively threaded a radish and scallop on each skewer. I drizzled olive oil, salt, and pepper on all the brochettes. Note: Skewering the radishes was not an easy task and I was weary of injuring myself.

Sea scallop brochettes

I cut the endive lengthwise and poached them in water. I submerged the poached endive in ice water, drained, and patted dry. I coated the endive with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I also combined the remaining diced tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl.

Left: Poaching endive
Right: Tomato mixture

I grilled the scallops brochettes until they were nicely charred on both sides. I also grilled the endive (the few leaves that didn't fall through the grid). Then it was on to plating. I arranged the endive on a platter and put the skewers on top. I scattered the tomato and remaining cilantro over the brochettes, decorated with the lime wedges, and served it alongside the almond-chile sauce.

Sea Scallop Brochettes with Almond-Chile Sauce

This dish looked soo incredibly beautiful on the platter. And it tasted equally as good. This recipe had everything - texture, acid, and spice. The radishes paired nicely with the scallops; a flavor combination I would not have thought of. I absolutely loved the almond-chile sauce. The almond balanced the cilantro and lime, and the chile provided some needed heat. Overall, a great recipe and I would definitely make it again.

Enjoy!

Sesame Grilled (or Broiled) Quail with Shoestring Potatoes

Recipe: Sesame Grilled (or Broiled) Quail with Shoestring Potatoes
Page: 154
Date Cooked: March 27, 2013

This is the last of the poultry recipes for this project. I really wanted to invest and use quail for this recipe. But I just couldn't justify spending so much (grad school budget here), and decided to use fresh Cornish game hens instead. I believe this served as a good substitute. I also opted to go for the broiling method since there was still some snow outside.

Ingredients: Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, white wine, olive oil, garlic, shallot, Cornish game hen, russet potatoes, sesame seeds, Kosher salt, pepper, corn oil, basil, sage, and parsley

I combined the mustard, vinegar, sesame oil, white wine, and olive oil to create a marinade for the game hens. I added minced garlic and shallots to the marinade and let it sit at room temperature. In the meantime, I butterflied the game hens and patted them dry. I combined the marinade and hens in a shallow dish, covered, refrigerated, and let marinate for 1 hour on each side.

Game hens in the marinade

I peeled the potatoes and cut them into matchsticks. The potatoes were kept in a bowl of ice water. I also placed the sesame seeds in a skillet and toasted till the seeds were golden brown.

Toasting the sesame seeds

I transferred the game hens to a platter and reserved the marinade. I then proceeded with frying the potatoes. I heated the oil in a cast iron skillet, I patted the potatoes completely dry, and placed a few sticks in the oil. When just golden, I removed the potatoes onto a plate lined with paper towels and lightly salted them.

Frying the potatoes

I also patted the herbs (basil, sage, and parsley) dry and fried them in the oil. Disclaimer: It appears that no matter how dry the herbs are, there is a significant amount of splatter that occurs.

Fried herb leaves

I put the game hens under the broiler skin side up and broiled until the skin appeared crispy. I turned the game hens, basted them with the marinade, and broiled until just cooked through. When the hens were finished, I pressed the skin side into the toasted sesame seeds. I was then ready to plate. I arranged the hens on top a nest of potatoes and scattered the fried herbs over the plate.

Sesame Broiled Quail with Shoestring Potatoes

There is a definite sense of simplicity to this meal. There aren't many components and there isn't too much work either. I enjoyed the game hens. They were cooked perfectly and I could taste hints of the marinade throughout. And really, who doesn't love fried potatoes? But I did feel as if a component was missing. I'm not exactly sure what it is, yet the dish was missing a depth of flavor. All in all, a good dish.

Enjoy!