Easy Elegant Scallops

Bacon, scallops, sea salt, and garlic - how can you go wrong?

Scallops can be tricky if you are not careful, they need to be fresh, large and cooked only until they are done or they can be more than a little "rubbery" (is that a word?)

Bacon Wrapped Scallops are incredibly easy, and can be presented so elegantly, your friends will know that you are a graduated gourmet chef!



Ingredients:
Large Sea Scallops - plan on 2 or 3 per person
Thick Sliced Bacon
Sea Salt (or Kosher Salt)
Fresh Ground Pepper
Chopped Garlic

1. Liberally salt and pepper your scallops, then "sprinkle" on your chopped garlic

2. Use 1 bacon slice per scallop and wrap them completely - use a skewer to secure

3. Place under broiler until bacon is crispy and done, it's just enough time for the scallops to also be done without getting overcooked.

A suggestion for you - serving these scallops with a lovely balsamic reduction sauce would be a beautiful final touch. So easy to do; simply cook your favorite balsamic vinegar over high heat 12 -15 minutes,until it becomes syrupy and bubbles begin to form.

Or you can cheat like me and use prepared balsamic salad dressing!  I served our scallops with an avocado, heirloom tomato salad, dusted with fresh rosemary Asiago cheese and a Tuscan balsamic dressing.  Our Pinot Noir is a favorite from the Oregon Willamette Valley, Domaine Drouhin.

Yes, we eat and drink well around here.

Cheers to a Happy Weekend!  We are headed up to Sonoma County to see our friends and celebrate a birthday.  I have heard a rumor that there might be wine tasting involved....

Oh Yum... Salmon with Lemon Caper Sauce

Saturday morning started out with a picnic breakfast and a gorgeous beach walk at Montara... it's a new beach walk that we discovered just a tiny bit north of Half Moon Bay right off Highway 1.

Completely awestruck! Clear blue sky, roaring waves -  amazing, powerful, soul restoring, with fewer than 10 people (and a few puppies!) on the beach to share this incredible experience. Worked up an voracious appetite after our walk in the sand. So, of course we had to stop at our favorite fish market in Half Moon Bay on the way back home for some local fresh caught salmon for a seafood dinner feast.

To die for - Salmon with Lemon Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

Fish + Marinade
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
2 large shallots
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
4 salmon fillets

Lemon Caper Sauce

2 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fish stock (or 2T each water and clam juice)
1/4 cup half & half or light cream
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons capers, drained

salt
cayenne pepper

1. Fish: Mince parsley, basil and shallots in food processor or by hand; place in plastic bag with oils and salmon. Seal and turn to coat salmon completely; refrigerate 2 hours or overnight; turn occasionally.

2. Sauce:  Simmer lemon juice, wine and stock until reduced to 2 T, about 12 minutes, add half & half and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup (2-3 minutes)

3. Add Dijon Mustard to the already reduced lemon sauce.

4. Stir in half and half

5. Whisk butter in over low heat, 1 Tablespoon at a time, letting each piece melt before adding the next.  Set aside,  then add capers, salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

6. Keep Warm - but not too warm!

7. Finish: Place salmon on aluminum foil if grilling or on broiler pan, skin side down.  Grill or broil until opaque, about 8 minutes (be careful not to overcook!) depending on thickness.

7. Plate and spoon the sauce over each fillet and garnish with extra capers or parsley if desired.

School of Fish Wine Tumblers

Make sure to serve your elegant dinner with a really good wine!  And don't forget the pretty wine glasses too....

We've been saving a bottle of Alpha Omega Chardonnay (Napa Valley 2009) for a special occasion. Luckily for me,  every Saturday with Tom seems like a special event, even if we are just hanging out at our dining room table....


*vanilla sea salt tomatoes recipe courtesy of the Walrus and the Carpenter

Have a great week!

Oscar Night Clam Chowder

C'mon admit it - we all watched the Oscars last night.  Who wore the best dress, which actor was the most handsome, who wore the worst dress... who looked fabulous on the red carpet.... glamour, glamour and more Hollywood glamour!  My fave?  To tell you the truth, I thought Anne Hathaway was the best!  She just looks incredible in anything, has such a wide range of talent,  and had such a fun time presenting and making the whole show fun.  (picture courtesy of Yahoo)

So that we wouldn't miss a single second of the show, I whipped us up some incredible clam chowder - not your average clam chowder.  Average, New England clam chowder would have been just too blase' for Oscar night!

Inspired by Hog Island's Manilla Clam Chowder, with my own twist... No flour added,  using only fresh clams and veggies.

Serves:  6-8
Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound bacon 
• celery - 2 cups sliced.  I tried "red" celery last night - wonderful addition!
• 1 med. yellow onion, sliced
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• carrots - 1-2 cups chopped
• 2 T. butter
• 6-8 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered into bite-sized cubes.  DO NOT peel!
• 4-6 lbs of small Manila clams in the shell 
• 1 + cup Sauvignon Blanc white wine ( be daring like Julia!)
• 1 quart heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Wash clams in colander, make sure that there are no cracked or open shells.  Discard bad clams...

Step 2: Cut up potatoes, and place in stock pot with 5-6 cups of water - no salt.   Bring to a boil, cook until al dente.  Do not discard water!

Step 3: While the potatoes are boiling, in a second heavy-bottom pot melt the butter with the thyme. Render the bacon in the butter and thyme (over low heat, careful not to burn); once bacon is rendered add onions and celery, cook until vegetables are translucent. Add carrots and cook until bendable without breaking, then add the potatoes and 4 cups of potato water.  Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

 Step 4:  Add the Sauvignon Blanc (or other good white wine) and let simmer for just a few minutes for flavors to blend

Step 5: Add the whole, fresh scrubbed clams.  Put the stock pot lid on and simmer gently until the clams open.  

Step 6: Ladle into individual bowls and pour a little cream in each bowl.  Now you are ready to serve!

Voila'!  Pour a glass of the chilled Sauvignon Blanc and serve with a rustic loaf of bread 

and you have an elegant feast.  

Have a great Monday - 

Yum! Clam Linguine

One of the best things about living on the coast is our bounty of seafood! As you all know, I am not an oyster fan, but I do love clams, and they are easy to find at the local seafood market or grocery store.

I have had this recipe for over 20 years - the poor recipe card is almost in shreds and is curiously decorated with drops of butter? cream? clam juice? white wine? So easy to make and so incredibly rich and yummy! Simply take your time, and have all of the ingredients ready to go before starting....

Ingredients:

1 lb. of manilla clams shells still in their shells, scrubbed clean

6 T. of real butter (don't skimp!)

4 cloves minced/chopped garlic

1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes

3/4 c. dry white wine (or more to taste if you're anything like Julia!)

1 1/2 cup cream (again, don't skimp!)

1 T lemon juice

2+ T fresh parsley chopped - I like Italian parsley for its flavor

2/3 c. Parmesan Cheese; shredded or shaved

Pasta - doesn't really matter what kind, this recipe is good on every kind of pasta. We've had it on spinach linguine many times, gorgeous presentation!

Melt butter,  then saute garlic and red pepper  in the butter til golden, add white wine and cream. Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, parsley and part of the Parmesan cheese, then add the clams. Put lid on sauce pan and let gently simmer while the clams slowly open in the sauce.

Cook pasta while clams are simmering, then drain. Toss pasta and clam sauce together and serve immediately topped with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!