Dinner 2020

[robirdstx]

 

Beef and Bean Chili over Pasta with Shredded Cheese and Green Onions

[liamsaunt]

Scallops over honeynut squash risotto with delicata squash butter and fried sage

 

[Smithy]

2 minutes ago, liamsaunt said:

Scallops over honeynut squash risotto with delicata squash butter and fried sage

 

 

Your scallop dishes always look delightful. I love scallops, but my attempts at cooking them have never resulted in that beautiful brown crust unless they also turned rubbery and tough. Is it technique, or availability of very fresh scallops? Probably a bit of both.

[heidih]

17 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

Your scallop dishes always look delightful. I love scallops, but my attempts at cooking them have never resulted in that beautiful brown crust unless they also turned rubbery and tough. Is it technique, or availability of very fresh scallops? Probably a bit of both.

 

Not my scallops but I can share that even the frozen big ones from Trader Joes can be delightfully done with that burnished gold look. As with so many things done- don't mess with them, stop poking at them. They will tell you when ready to flip not sticking.  I usually just do one side "golden" to foreclose rubberyness.

[KennethT]

3 minutes ago, heidih said:

 

Not my scallops but I can share that even the frozen big ones from Trader Joes can be delightfully done with that burnished gold look. As with so many things done- don't mess with them, stop poking at them. They will tell you when ready to flip not sticking.  I usually just do one side "golden" to foreclose rubberyness.

Also, it's important to get "dry packed" scallops or the like.  If they've been packed in brine, they contain too much water and will never get a good sear.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, KennethT said:

Also, it's important to get "dry packed" scallops or the like.  If they've been packed in brine, they contain too much water and will never get a good sear.

Super important.  Hot-ish pan. And pat them dry. I go a minute and a half on side 1.

[dcarch]

Many of you have to deal with green tomatoes.

 

I decided to make a BLT. Bacon jam, Lettuce from the garden, Fried green tomatoes, on naan bread.

 

dcarch

 

 

.

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by dcarch (log)

[weinoo]

Along with a big bowl of pasta with tomato sauce...

 

 

Céleri remoulade. Brussels sprouts pan-roasted with bacon, shallots, and splashed with saba at service.

[heidih]

19 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

Céleri remoulade. Brussels sprouts pan-roasted with bacon, shallots, and splashed with saba at service.

I really miss my saba (no vines anymore). What source do you use?  Our topic  https://forums.egullet.org/topic/102533-saba-cooked-grape-must/

 

[TicTac]

45 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Super important.  Hot-ish pan. And pat them dry. I go a minute and a half on side 1.

And by 'hot-ish' you mean screaming hot, preferably thick bottomed pan - yes?

 

Scallops are ultimately prepared at the highest temps possible (assuming you want the most flavour you can get) in order to caramelize the meat proteins.

 

Either that, or eat 'em raw!

 

 

[KennethT]

You can also dust scallops with Wondra flour - David Bouley used to teach a cooking class once in a while and that's how they used to do it in his restaurants.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, TicTac said:

And by 'hot-ish' you mean screaming hot, preferably thick bottomed pan - yes?

 

Scallops are ultimately prepared at the highest temps possible (assuming you want the most flavour you can get) in order to caramelize the meat proteins.

 

Either that, or eat 'em raw!

 

Raw would work, especially with the Nantucket Bay scallops currently in season.

 

But I'm not a "screaming hot" person - like a 450℉ - 500℉ pan surface should work? I go more by feel, I guess...

 

 

 

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

I really miss my saba (no vines anymore). What source do you use?  Our topic  https://forums.egullet.org/topic/102533-saba-cooked-grape-must/

 

I bought this saba from Gustiamo...

 

 

https://www.gustiamo.com/saba/

[gfweb]

4 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

Your scallop dishes always look delightful. I love scallops, but my attempts at cooking them have never resulted in that beautiful brown crust unless they also turned rubbery and tough. Is it technique, or availability of very fresh scallops? Probably a bit of both.

 

I let t he scallops dry sitting on a plate in the fridge for an hour and then fry in butter. Nice and browned

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

I really miss my saba (no vines anymore). What source do you use?  Our topic  https://forums.egullet.org/topic/102533-saba-cooked-grape-must/

 

I get mine from Amazon

[mgaretz]

Sir fry with char siu, carrots, onion, spinach, mushrooms, peas and noodles.

 

 

[heidih]

28 minutes ago, gfweb said:

I get mine from Amazon

 

I was focusing on brand as they vary like fine balsamico.  But then I will buy either of the pom or date molasses at Persian market - cheaper risk I grant (I use Persian cuz that is how the population around me self identifies. Pre revolution students from the 80's I guess)

[TicTac]

5 hours ago, weinoo said:

Raw would work, especially with the Nantucket Bay scallops currently in season.

 

But I'm not a "screaming hot" person - like a 450℉ - 500℉ pan surface should work? I go more by feel, I guess...

 

 

 

You have a wolf range, so surely you can do better than that! (the temp, that is - scallops look good, minus the top one that is a bit pale 😛)

 

Cornstarch also works well to get a really crisp exterior.  I prefer however to just caramelize the protein itself.

 

As other have mentioned, getting them as dry as possible and even putting a fan on them (as one would do peeking duck) to get rid of any moisture is a wise move.

 

 

 

 

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, TicTac said:

You have a wolf range, so surely you can do better than that! (the temp, that is - scallops look good, minus the top one that is a bit pale 😛)

 

Cornstarch also works well to get a really crisp exterior.  I prefer however to just caramelize the protein itself.

 

As other have mentioned, getting them as dry as possible and even putting a fan on them (as one would do peeking duck) to get rid of any moisture is a wise move.

 

 

The "top one" is cut in half, showing the interior (and the bottom, which doesn't need to get the same sear as the top).

 

You can tell the temperature of the interior cooking surface of a pan based on the type of range you have? You're better than me.

[patti]

Catfish with lemon and dill. Cherry tomatoes cooked with the catfish and spooned over avocado. 
 

[Dante]

Seared and oven roasted pork tenderloin with mustard crust and cider reduction glaze, with corn-and-edamame succotash with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast (not pictured) on the side.

 

[heidih]

9 minutes ago, Dante said:

Seared and oven roasted pork tenderloin with mustard crust and cider reduction glaze, with corn-and-edamame succotash with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast (not pictured) on the side.

 

 

Curious what the nutritional yeast added to a meat dish. An ingredient I have not used in a while.

[Dante]

5 minutes ago, heidih said:

Curious what the nutritional yeast added to a meat dish. An ingredient I have not used in a while.

 

Sorry, I think I phrased that unclearly - it was added to the corn-and-edamame succotash. It's a standard for me for adding a bit of extra flavour to steamed veggies.

[heidih]

27 minutes ago, Dante said:

 

Sorry, I think I phrased that unclearly - it was added to the corn-and-edamame succotash. It's a standard for me for adding a bit of extra flavour to steamed veggies.

 

That makes sense. I may play again. What do the kids call it ? nooch?

[Franci]

Still have my house half a construction site 😬, luckily dinner can be easy and still great at the same time. I hope they can finish by  next week 🤪

 

2 spiny lobster (head went straight to the freezer for soup) and some swordfish fresh from today and a piece of tuna that we didn’t cook at lunch. Tuscan kale, sauté zucchini and chickpeas, plus a little bit of bread. 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by Franci (log)