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!

Lobster Thermidor

Recipe: Lobster Thermidor
Page: 234
Date Cooked: December 2, 2012

This is the last lobster based recipe in this project. And it also happens to be a pretty decadent recipe. Lobster thermidor was created in a restaurant in Paris, which was close to a theater. The recipe was created to honor the opening of a play titled Thermidor by Victorien Sardou. Jonathan Waxman's version of lobster thermidor is intended to be a lighter version of the traditional dish.

Ingredients: Lobsters (not pictured), shallots, garlic, cherry tomatoes, white wine, heavy cream, unsalted butter, Dijon mustard, cognac, chives, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese

I brought a large pot of salted water to a boil and cooked the lobsters for a few minutes. I then removed the meat from the lobsters and diced the meat.

Diced lobster meat

I diced the shallots, minced the garlic, and halved the tomatoes.

1. Diced shallots 2. Minced garlic 3. Halved tomatoes

In a saucepan, I combined the shallots, garlic, and wine and cooked until the liquid became syrup-like. I added the cream and let the mixture reduce further. I added the lobster and let it heat through. Finally, I added the butter, tomatoes, mustard, cognac, and chives. I also seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper.

Putting together the lobster thermidor mixture

I divided the mixture into heatproof bowls and grated fresh Parmesan cheese on top of them.

Lobster thermidor pre-broiling

I put the bowls under the broiler. The lobster thermidor cooked until it was golden brown and bubbly. And they were ready to be served...

Lobster Thermidor

Ummmm...this was amazingly good! Hands down the best lobster recipe in this book! I think it's even a contender for best recipe in A Great American Cook as a whole. This dish is known to be traditional and quite extravagant. Yet, I was surprised as to how easy it was to put together. When transferring the mixture to the dishes, I noticed it was quite liquidy and wasn't sure if it would thicken up. So as an experiment, I whisked an egg yolk into one of the bowls. The bowl with the egg yolk had more custard-like texture and was definitely richer. But I have to agree with Jonathan Waxman's intro, it was nice to have a "lighter" version of this recipe. And who are we really kidding? This recipe isn't light!

Overall, amazing-ness! The recipe was delicious and I hope to make it again!

Enjoy!

Crab Cakes with Red Cabbage Slaw

Recipe: Crab Cakes with Red Cabbage Slaw
Page: 236
Date Cooked: June 11, 2012

So I actually happen to be living in Maryland for the summer and heck what better place to get crab than from the Chesapeake Bay area. So with Maryland crab in tow, I decided to venture on to this recipe...

Ingredients: Lemon, peanut oil, olive oil, egg yolks, jalapeno chile, lump crabmeat, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, onion, corn, red cabbage, parsley, and butter

I began by getting the mayonnaise together. Like I said, I'm living in Maryland this summer and am not in my usual kitchen. Which also means, no hand blender (which I had been using to make mayo). So I was a little worried about putting it together. I juiced the lemon and whisked it together with the egg yolks. I poured the peanut oil and olive oil into a measuring cup. While whisking, I slowly poured in the oil and continued to do so until the mayo became stiff. To my pleasant surprise, the mayo came together really well and I even got an upper body work out.

Mayo making

I cut, stemmed, and seeded the jalapeno pepper. Half of the chile was cut into a small dice and the other half into julienne strips. Also, I picked over the crabmeat for any shells and cartilage.

Left: Julienned jalapeno
Right: Diced jalapeno

I combined the bread crumbs, the diced chile, half the mayo, and the crabmeat. I seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper as well. I then formed the mixture into 6 crab cakes.

Forming the crab cakes

In a shallow bowl, I whisked egg yolks with some water and spread bread crumbs onto a plate. I dipped the crab cakes in the egg yolk mixture and then coated them in the bread crumbs. I placed all the crab cakes on a lined tray and put them in the fridge to firm up.

Pre-cooked crab cakes

In the meantime, I thinly sliced the onion and cut the kernels off the corn cobs. I julienned the red cabbage and juiced the lemon.

(1) Sliced onion (2) Corn kernels (3) Julienned red cabbage

I mixed the cabbage, chopped parsley, julienned pepper, and some mayonnaise in a bowl. I then added lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The mixture was tossed well and set aside. I sauteed the onion and corn together until tender and added them to the cabbage slaw.

Putting the cabbage slaw together

Finally, I heated some butter and olive oil in a pan and fried the crab cakes.

Frying crab cakes

I placed the slaw on plates, topped it with the crab cakes, and served it all with some of the remaining mayonnaise.

Crab Cakes with Red Cabbage Slaw

Another perfect summer dish. I really liked the slaw. The crunch of the cabbage was a nice textural contrast to all the other components. And I believe I've said this recently, but corn in the summer is always so good. The crab cakes were also incredibly light, considering they were fried. Perfect texture, great flavor, and I'm partial to the spice so I enjoyed the jalapeno in the crab cakes. Overall, I would make it again.

Enjoy!

Sautéed Shrimp with Leeks and Roasted Peanuts

Recipe: Sautéed Shrimp with Leeks and Roasted Peanuts
Page: 222
Date Cooked: April 25, 2012

Jonathan Waxman introduces this recipe as a "triumphant combination of tropical and European flavors." I think he somewhat exaggerates the flavor combination. It simply has the typical Asian flavors most people know - lemon, lime, peanuts, ginger, soy sauce. And heck, he even throws in basmati rice, hinting on the South Asian side.

Ingredients: Onion, olive oil, basmati rice, salt, pepper, leeks, shrimp (forgot to put them in the picture), white wine, serrano chile, lime, lemon, corn oil, roasted unsalted peanuts, ginger, and soy sauce

The first step was preparing the rice. I minced the onion and cooked it with the basmati rice in some olive oil. I added salt and pepper to taste. Once the onions were softened and rice was toasted, I added water, brought it to a boil, lowered the heat, covered, and cooked the rice. I spread the cooked rice onto a baking sheet and let it cool.

(1) Cooking onions and rice (2) Cooking rice (3) Allowing rice to cool

I washed and trimmed the leeks. I julienned the green portion and sliced the white portion into rounds.

(1) Leeks rounds (2) Leek tops, julienned

I removed the shells from the shrimp and put the shells, leek whites, wine, and water into a saucepan. The stock mixture simmered for approximately half an hour. I strained the mixture and set the stock aside.

Making shrimp stock

I minced the chile. I juiced the lime and lemon. I also, formed the rice into cakes. I heated the corn oil in a large pot and deep-fried the julienned leek greens until they were golden. I let them drain on paper towels and seasoned them with salt.

Fried leek greens

I then tried to deep-fry the rice cakes. I just could not do it. The rice wouldn't stay together and the few cakes I attempted to deep fry just fell apart in the pot. You can see exactly that in the pictures below. After the first few failed attempts, I decided to give up. I did however drain the rice on paper towels.

My attempt at getting fried rice cakes

On to the shrimp. I heated olive oil in a skillet and added the shrimp. I then added the peanuts, ginger, and chiles, allowing them to cook briefly. I added the shrimp stock, citrus juices, soy sauce and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes.

(1) Shrimp (2) Shrimp with peanuts, ginger, and chiles (3) Shrimp with peanuts, ginger, chiles, shrimp stock, citrus juices, and soy sauce

Finally, it was time to plate. I put the rice on to a plate, topped it with the shrimp, and garnished with the fried leek greens.

Sautéed Shrimp with Leeks and Roasted Peanuts

Despite the fact that I couldn't get a decent rice cake, the dish itself was really great. The shrimp flavors were spot on. The peanuts added the perfect crunch to the dish. I really enjoyed the hints of spice from the chiles and ginger. The shrimp was also amazingly sweet, which likely speaks to the freshness of the product itself. But I do think adding that shrimp stock really brought it home, giving the whole dish that bold shrimp taste. The fried leek greens were a much more important component of the dish than I anticipated. That was where the salt element lay and I really liked it.

Looking back, I don't think I it was necessary to have fried rice cakes in this dish. The rice had flavor on its own. But the shrimp was the star. It had everything - texture, acid, salt, and all perfectly balanced. I would definitely make the shrimp again.

Enjoy!

Broiled Lobster with Zucchini and Chile Butter

Recipe: Broiled Lobster with Zucchini and Chile Butter
Page: 233
Date Cooked: September 19, 2011

Summer is coming to an end and I haven't cooked a single lobster. Well that is all about to change starting now!  I walked into my grocery store the other day and saw that the tank was full of these clawed crustaceans. It was at that moment I knew I had to take one home to eat. Furthermore, I had all this amazing zucchini in my fridge from the farmers market - so this really was the perfect recipe to make.

Ingredients: red jalapeno chile, unsalted butter, rosemary, salt, pepper, lemon, lobster (in styrofoam box), zucchini, and olive oil

While a large pot of salted water heated on the stove, I began prepping the chile butter.  I stemmed, seeded, and chopped the chile. I then pureed the chile with the butter in a food processor. I placed the butter into a small dish and added finely chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, and a touch of lemon juice.

Chile Butter

Once the pot of water came to a nice boil, I dropped the lobster into the pan, covered and let boil for just a few minutes. I removed the lobster and let it cool. I then split the cooled lobster in half and lightly cracked the claws. I want to make a note here. Immediately, I thought the best way to split a lobster in half was from the underside (which is what I did). However, when I did some looking afterward I discovered the best way to do it is from the top - slicing from the head down. Doing it the latter way results in a really neat looking presentation. Regardless, once I split the lobster in half, I rubbed the chile butter all over the lobster meat and placed it in the oven to broil.

1. Live lobster 2. Boiled lobster 3. Lobster with chile butter before being broiled

In the meantime, I heated some olive oil and sauteed zucchini rounds (seasoned with salt and pepper) in a pan until they were brown but still crispy.

Sauteed zucchini rounds

With all the components cooked and ready, I decided to plate. I placed the lobster in the middle of the plate and surrounded it with the zucchini.

Broiled Lobster with Zucchini and Chile Butter

Jonathan Waxman has only two lines for the introduction of this recipe and I would like to repeat them. "Here's an uncomplicated way to cook lobster. The spicy butter is spectacular with the lobster meat." These two sentences were my thoughts exactly! The lobster was delicious! And "oh my goodness" the chile butter was amazing! I had some foresight and expected the butter to taste pretty damn good, so I actually saved some of the butter to eat with the lobster. Best idea ever! What I also loved was that the zucchini paired perfectly. It obviously wasn't the star of the plate but it was a nice flavor and texture to have on the side.

The dish was just yummy. Thinking about it now makes me want more. Heck, I'm thinking of making the chile butter and keeping it on hand just for fun.

Enjoy!

Sea Scallops on Sweet Onions

Recipe: Sea Scallops on Sweet Onions
Page: 225
Date Cooked: August 17, 2011

The title of this recipe says it all. It really is all about the scallops and the sweet onions. And Jonathan Waxman makes a point to remind me that "it's a crime to mess around too much with scallops."

Ingredients: Sea scallops, white wine, sweet onions, unsalted butter, salt, pepper, and parsley

I placed the white wine and small scrap of a scallop in a small saucepan to reduce for a few minutes. The recipe actually calls for the small muscle attached the scallop, but the scallops I bought didn't have the muscles attached. I then strained the liquid and placed it on a side.

Sea scallop-white wine reduction

While the white wine mixture reduced, I sliced the onions as thin as possible. I then melted some butter in a pan and placed the onions along with some salt and pepper to cook on a low heat for quite some time. They continued to cook until "the onions [were] creamy and luscious." Later, I added the reduced wine to the onions and kept it all warm.

Cooking the onions will they are "creamy and luscious"

I salt and peppered the scallops and melted some butter into a pan. I placed the scallops into the skillet ("without disturbing them") and let them brown on each side.

Browning the scallops

Once the scallops were cooked on both sides. I placed the onions on a plate, put the scallops on top, and sprinkled on some parsley.

Sea Scallops on Sweet Onions

Scallops happen to be one of my favorite forms (if not my favorite) of shellfish and this recipe reminded me why. The simplicity of a scallop cooked to perfection sings on my taste buds. I just really enjoy it. The sweet onions were perfect in bringing out the sweetness of the scallops as well. But considering the onions were just cooked in butter over low heat for a while, I'm not all that surprised that it tasted soo good. This dish was simplicity at its best and didn't require much of a hassle. I really enjoyed it.

Enjoy!

Soft-Shell Crabs with Spicy Peas

Recipe: Soft-Shell Crabs with Spicy Peas
Page: 235
Date Cooked: May 25, 2011

Well everyone...they're here! It's soft-shell crab season and the moment I saw them at the fish counter I immediately remembered that JW happened to have a few recipes in "A Great American Cook" that needed this ingredient. A soft-shell crab (a.k.a. blue crab) is simply a crab that has recently molted their old exoskeleton. Thus a real time saver when you think about the fact that you get to just bite right into it! Yep, no cracking any shells - just immediate crab.

Of course the recipe calls for live crabs and even outlines the instructions on how to go about cleaning them on a different page (page: 102). Luckily for me, I could get my "fishmonger" (a Jonathan Waxman term) to clean them for me. Moreover, it appears that I have many firsts during this project and this was the first time I personally cooked a soft-shell crab.

Ingredients: Soft-shell crabs, fresh peas, lemon, unsalted butter, red pepper flakes, and salt

The first step was to shuck the peas, which of course took more time than I would have liked. The recipe gives you the option to use frozen peas and that is definitely something to keep in mind for next time. Regardless this was the only real laborious portion of the recipe.

Shucked peas

With the hard work behind me, I then focused on the crabs. I melted some butter in a skillet and once it stopped foaming, I added the crabs top side down. After a few minutes, I flipped the crabs, added the peas, red pepper flakes, and some salt.

From Left to Right: Soft-shell crabs; Crabs in butter; Flipped crabs with peas, red pepper flakes, and salt

Once the crabs were cooked, I removed them from the skillet and put them on plates. Upon turning off the heat, I added some more butter to the peas and red pepper flakes. And then I finally topped it off with some lemon juice. I then spooned the sauce and peas over the crab and I was done.

Soft-Shell Crab with Spicy Peas

I need to emphasize how incredibly quick and easy this recipe really was. Had I used frozen peas...it would have taken 10 minutes tops! It was ridiculous how quickly this meal came together. The kick from the red pepper flakes with the buttery-lemon sauce = amazing. Furthermore, the peas complimented the crab perfectly. The crab was also a no-brainer to make.

Cooking a certain kind of shellfish for the first time (or cooking anything for the first time) comes with a bit of anxiety; and I was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy it was to make soft-shell crab. There is no doubt in my mind that I would make this again. It was quick, simple, and delicious! Heck it even looks beautiful on the plate!

Enjoy!

Pismo Beach Clam Ragout

Recipe: Pismo Beach Clam Ragout
Page: 229
Date Cooked: September 8, 2010

I may get ahead of myself here and give away the punch-line, but the thing is Jonathan Waxman's Pismo Beach Clam Ragout is simple, quick, and delicious. I was in one of those moods where I wanted to cook but really didn't want an entire production. Also, with Labor Day behind us I knew summer was coming to a close and I needed to relish in its flavors just a little longer.

Ingredients: Littleneck clams, corn, onions, butter, salt, pepper, dry white wine.

Prep was a cinch. Shuck the corn and get the kernels off the cob. Slice the onions into rings. And wash the clams. The great thing about clams (as part of the shellfish category) is that they are so easy to make and don't require much skill to handle - it's almost hard to mess it up. But remember, if you're getting them at the grocery store, don't tie the bag - they will end up dying and you really can't eat them afterward.

The three main components: corn, onions, and clams

The cooking portion of the recipe was even simpler than the prep. Saute the onions and corn with butter, seasoning with salt and pepper. Then the clams and white wine are added. The pan is covered and it all cooks together until the clams are open. The finished product:

Pismo Beach Clam Ragout

I believe this recipe rings true to the fact that simple can be oh so delicious. Basic seasoning and ingredients can just enhance a seasonal product. The corn was delicious and you really can't go wrong with white wine and clams. The best part: it all cooks in one pan! There just happens to be an aspect of grace in the simplicity of this recipe. Nothing groundbreaking, but yummy.

Enjoy!

Note: The ingredients have been halved.

Warm Lobster Tacos With Guacamole

Recipe: Warm Lobster Tacos With Guacamole
Page: 231
Date Cooked: Monday, August 6, 2010

From my initial skim of "A Great American Cook," it was obvious from the get-go that Jonathan Waxman has an affinity for lobster, chilies, and guacamole. So it came with little surprise that he combined those three items to come up with this recipe.

Ingredients: Live lobsters, onions, tomatoes, shallots, jalapeno chilies, cilantro, poblano chilies, avocados, lime, sea salt, corn tortillas, and olive oil

I think any recipe that calls for something to be alive can come with some trepidation. The trick with lobster though is put it in the freezer long enough for them to be slow (but of course not dead) and then when the water is boiling drop them in. This was the right method for me. It minimizes any thrashing or boiling water spillage.

Two medium sized Maine lobsters

The rest of the recipe called for lots of chopping. However, while you chop, a reduction of onion, lobster shells, and two cups of the lobster cooking water are placed on the stove, allowing you to use your time somewhat wisely.

The components of the reduction

Jonathan Waxman instructs you to blacken and blister some poblano and jalapeno chilies. I hadn't used this technique before and was intrigued by what would come of this. Once the chilies have achieved a blackened and blistered state, they are steamed in their own heat. The next part was the most interesting. You peel the skin by hand, stem, seed, and then cut into strips.

Process of blackening, blistering, steaming, peeling, stemming, and seeding the chilies

While the chilies and the tomato salsa (more on that later) appeared to be a bit of a tedious process, the guacamole was quite simple - avocados, salt to taste, cilantro, and lime. Now remember that lobster broth reduction we have going, well here is where that comes in. In a large bowl, tomatoes, shallots, jalapenos, and cilantro have been chopped, mixed, and tossed. Almost a quarter of the reduced lobster broth is then added to the tomato mixture. The tortillas were then placed in the oven to warm. And finally, the strips of chilies and lobster meat are heated over the stove with some olive oil.

Guacamole, tomato salsa, and lobster meat with chilies

Our three main components are now ready for taco assembly and here is the final product:

Warm Lobster Taco with Guacamole.

The verdict....

The warm lobster tacos with guacamole were good. However, they were not worth the effort. The one place I thought the recipe would really shine was the addition of the lobster broth reduction to the tomato salsa. Who doesn't love lobster? And then adding some more of that wonderful lobster flavor to the salsa. Well, that should really make it sing. Unfortunately, I found reducing the lobster broth and adding it to the tomato salsa was a waste of time and effort. It added no extra dimension that couldn't be found in the lobster meat itself. There was also a large amount of tomato salsa left over after assembly, making me think the proportions were slightly off.

The blackening and blistering of the chilies - while that wasn't the most time consuming aspect of the dish it seemed somewhat frivolous. Granted the heat from the chilies provided a nice kick to the tacos in general. I think it could have been achieved by simply dicing them all into the tomato salsa.

The star of it all was the lobster. But that didn't have much to do with the recipe itself than it did with the natural taste of a wonderful ingredient. All in all, the other components of the taco didn't do much to elevate the flavor of natural lobster.

Enjoy!

I would like to thank Nathan for allowing me to make a mess in his kitchen and use all his pots and pans.