October is National Seafood Month, and at Westminster-Canterbury on
Chesapeake Bay residents are enjoying healthy, local specialties of the sea prepared
by Chef Peter Tseng and his culinary team.
According to Chef Peter,
seafood is low-calorie and packed with protein, is easier to digest than
poultry or red meat and contains omega-3 fatty acids which have been proven to
reduce risk of heart disease. One of the
favorites on the new Thirty-One Hundred menu this month is the Seared Sea Scallops or
“Sea Biscuits” as they’re referred to on the menu. The scallops are served with
a lime and pancetta pan-sauce and tossed in cider vinaigrette. If you’re a residents or FRP member, you can
make reservations and sample the dish at WC. If not, follow you can still try
them at home. “Make sure that the scallops are dried well on the surface
before cooking,” says the Chef. “For intermediate cooks, use nonstick or Teflon
pans to keep the scallops from sticking and burning.”
Seared Sea Scallops with Pancetta Lime Buerre Blanc
Yield:
2 portions
Ingredients
12 Sea Scallops- 6 each
Pancetta (roughly chopped)- 2 ounces
Lime Juice (fresh squeezed)- 2 limes
Chablis- ¼
Cup
Fresh Garlic (minced)- 1 Tsp
Kosher Salt- 1
Pinch
Pink Peppercorns (toasted & ground)- ½ Pinch
Whole Butter (unsalted & cubed 1/4”)- 2 ounces
Mesclun Greens- 2
ounces
Shaved Parmesan Reggiano- 1 ounce
Directions:
·
Using a food grade towel, pat the scallops dry
and remove the abductor muscle. Leaving the scallops on a dry towel,
refrigerate to allow the surface to continue to air dry.
·
Heat a nonstick pan until radiant heat can be
felt ½ inch above surface. Once hot, add the pancetta and render fat until it
is gently browned. Tilt the pan to the side and allow the oil to stay while
removing the pancetta for later use.
·
Return the pan to a medium high heat. Season the
scallops with salt and pepper and add them to the rendered fat in the pan. Once
the scallops are in the pan do not move them for at least 45 seconds. Allow a
generous searing heat to caramelize the surface of the scallop, then flip them
over and sear again.
·
Once the scallops are seared perfectly, they should
be about medium-done. Place them aside on a plate and leave them on their side,
not sitting on the tops or bottom where they are seared.
·
Discard the oil from the pan. Return the pan
once again to the heat source and add the garlic, Chablis and lime juice. Swirl
the pan until the “fond” is released from the bottom of the pan and flavors the
sauce.
·
Turn off the heat and add the pancetta and whole
butter into the pan one cube at a time while stirring vigorously with a rubber
or plastic heat resistant whisk. If the sauce is too bright, you may add heavy
cream 1 Tsp at a time. Keep the sauce warm but not over direct heat and reserve
for plating.
Ingredients
Apple Cider- ¼ Cup
Apple Cider Vinegar- ½ Cup
Canola Oil- 1 ½ Cup
Dijon Mustard- 1 Tbsp
Granulated Sugar- 2 Tbsp
Ground Cinnamon- 1 Pinch
Directions:
·
Place all ingredients except canola oil into a
blender. Pulse until all items are homogenously incorporated.
·
Turn blender on low setting and slowly pour in
the canola oil. Once all the oil has been added, turn the blender onto medium
setting for 45 seconds or until the vinaigrette is completely incorporated and
smooth. Be sure to let the granulated sugar dissolve and sugar crystals are no
longer visible on the blender walls. Reserve for later use under refrigeration.
Plating Up
·
Toss the mesclun greens in 1 fluid ounce of
cider vinaigrette prepared earlier. Place the greens in the center of the
plate.
·
Place the seared scallops in the pan sauce
prepared earlier rolling them around ensuring to coat evenly. Plate the
scallops in a triangle formation around the greens and spoon the sauce over and
around the scallops ensuring to spoon the pancetta too.
·
Lastly, top the greens with parmesan reggiano
shavings and enjoy with a glass of Voigner.
Enjoy!
