If you don’t like scallops, I don’t like you.  I mean not really, but you do lose major cool points in my book of judgment and ridicule.  Scallops, although still bottom feeders, are superior to their friends The Oyster and Mr.  Muscle.  Yes, they consist mostly of an abductor muscle, which is the delicious part you eat, but I was surprised and slightly disgusted to learn that scallops also have eyes to help detect light and motion and can be hermaphrodites, consisting of both sexes at the same time or switching sexes mid-life.  Now that sounds like a crisis.  Luckily for the scallop, they are notably one of the prettier of the species, having very symmetrical shells that are musical as well as functional when on a daily swim or escaping predators on the prowl. 

 

Outside of the physical realm, scallops are associated with Saint James and fertility.  Going forward one might take special consideration of the occasion for which they are making scallops, being the apparent symbol of fruitfulness that they are.  Perhaps had I paid more attention to mythology or art in my time abroad I would have remembered that in The Birth of Venus, the Roman Goddess of fertility and love, was in fact on a lovely half-shell or scallop shell.  Upon further investigation one learns that the Greek Goddess Aphrodite was also carried to Earth in the shell of a scallop thus earning the scallop its reputation as an aphrodisiac. 

 

After this little investigation into the history of the scallop, perhaps I too will refrain from mass consumption.  This is what happens when I find myself without much to say…err…write.  Wikipedia, we’re over.  If only this recipe, courtesy of my ever dependable Bon Appétit, wasn’t so irresistible or perhaps I too fell victim to the powers of the ever alluring scallop. 

 

Baby Bok-Choy and Scallops

Serves 2.  Duh. 

 

1 tablespoon yellow miso (fermented soybean paste)

1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon Mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)

1/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil, divided

2 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise

10 large sea scallops, side muscle removed, patted dry

Thinly sliced green onion tops

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whisk first 4 ingredients and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl to blend. Set sauce aside.  Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bok choy; cook until wilted and brown in spots, turning often with tongs, about 3 minutes. Divide bok choy between 2 plates.

 

Add remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil to same skillet. Sprinkle scallops with pepper; add to skillet. Sear scallops until brown and just opaque in center, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove pan from heat. Place scallops between bok choy. Add miso sauce to skillet; stir just until warm, about 3 seconds. Drizzle sauce over scallops and bok choy. Sprinkle with green onions.

 

Coconut Rice

• 1 T butter
• 1 T brown sugar
• Dash of salt
• 1 cup rice
• 1 ½ cups coconut milk
• 1 ½ cups water
• Shredded coconut
• Macadamia Nuts, chopped

 

In a small skillet sauté coconut over medium heat until golden.  Repeat with the Macadamia Nuts and set aside.  In a sauce pan, melt butter and dissolve brown sugar and salt.  Mix in rice and stir until coated.  Add coconut milk and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquids are absorbed.  Stir in half of the coconut and nuts and use the rest as garnish.

Dylan Thomas wrote “Do not go gentle into that good night”; I have the same advice for the crafting of Vietnamese Summer Rolls.  There will inevitably come a point when you will realize that you are in way over your head, that these cousins of the more familiar spring rolls are not, in fact, as simple as they first appeared, that you do not have the patience or dexterity required to work with such delicate ingredients.  My friends…you must fight the urge to quit!  I tried the recipe first for a reason, so I can relay my findings, and so that you can learn from them and have a head start on what I admit to be a trying process.

 

Summer rolls became an addiction of mine while I was working in Hawaii and making daily jaunts down Fort Street, dodging the radom showers, and sampling the rolls at each and every restaurant.  There were tofu rolls, shrimp rolls, tuna salad rolls, veggie rolls, pork rolls; you name it, someone on that street made it.  In retrospect, I think that the making of these rolls might be better left to the specialists.  In the same way that true Italians make better biscotti, I’m pretty sure that the Vietnamese make better rolls.  That said, if you have the time and patience, these are pretty good.

 

“White Girl” Summer Rolls

 

As named by my favorite work buddy after revealing that I planned to swap shrimp for smoked salmon

  

Serves about 10 as an appetizer or light meal.

  

• 20 Spring Roll Skins
• 8 oz Rice Noodles
• 1 package Bean Sprouts
• 1 large Cucumber
• 1 bunch Mint Leaves
• 1 package Tofu, Smoked Salmon, or about 20 Shrimp

  

First soak the rice noodles in warm water for about 30 minutes or according to the directions on the package.  Taste test prior to straining to ensure that the noodles are done and not al dente like mine were.  While “cooking” the noodles you can shred or julienne the cucumber (carrots too if desired) and set aside. 

 

 Set up all ingredients in a makeshift assembly line:  skins, warm water bath, paper towels, mint, meat, veggies, noodles.  Then comes the tedious part – the layering.  I tried a number of combinations, but found the best (i.e., the prettiest) result to come from layering the mint on the bottom, followed by the protein, the noodles, bean sprouts, and finally the veggies.  Do not feel guilty if your “white girl” (or boy) fingers require you to double up on wrappers – I was told that this is common.  Just make sure to soak the two wrappers simultaneously so that they lay flat and have good alignment.  If you only knew how much I dislike having to talk about alignment and food in the same sentence…  Another pointer, if you dislike the idea of using 2 wrappers, is to quickly dip the wrappers in the water as opposed to the 20 second bath I gave mine.  Don’t pretend like you don’t take long showers!  Either way, make sure you let the wrapper dry before piling in the toppings!

 

My Fav Peanut Sauce

  

• 1/2 cup crunchy or freshly ground peanut butter
• 1 cup greek or plain yogurt
• 1/8 cup soy sauce (or more)
• 1 T rice vinegar
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 T chili sauce

 

  Stir all ingredients together in whatever order your little heart desires.  Make sure to taste, taste, taste as you go to get the best result!

   

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

  

• 1/2 c water
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 2 T lime juice
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 t chili paste
• 1 clove garlic (minced)

  

This would be the more authentic of the sauces.  Simply combine all ingredients and dip away!