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.

I’m pretty sure I have already written and deleted or misplaced this post.  Perhaps I’m suffering from déjà vu and have simply thought of what I wanted to say so many times that I thought I would have written it down by now, somehow I think I’m just getting old and forgetful…  What I will never forget, however, is how amazing tuna steaks are seared with a simple rub!

 

 

My first taste of Ten Minute Tuna Steak was during a barbeque at our condo in Hawaii.  My roommate’s Dad was in town visiting and spent our long workday slaving away to prepare  a delectable dinner for us come quitting time.  Walking in the door to the delicious smells and busy bodies in our condo is still very clear to me, as is the breezy and cool night air, good company and greener than green surroundings.  I am still working on blocking that this was probably also the occasion of our 2^nd or 3^rd warning from building management who finally took away our party privileges  altogether declaring that they didn’t know what kind of hooligans, yes hooligans, we were, but that this was a residency not party central.  I blame the rest of our project for any misconduct, but I suppose I’m quite good at setting the scene. 

 

In the case that you also like throwing rather large gatherings and would like to whip this recipe up for your fellow hooligans, I recommend you make the theme BYOT, Bring Your Own Tuna.  The good stuff, which is what you want to eat considering you should keep it bright pink in the center, can run around $20 per pound.   Sadly enough, you will also find a number of people who are seafood phobic.  Let them bring beef.  A flank steak or fillet are no tuna, but they work. 

 

 

Ten Minute Tuna Steaks

Serves 6.

 

• 2 T McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 lb tuna steaks
• ¼ c olive oil

 

Rub tuna steaks in steak season and lime juice and let marinate refrigerated for 30 minutes.  Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear steaks on each side for 3-4 minutes or until desired tone of PINK! 

 

 

Crunchy Avocado Salad

Courtesy of Bobby Flay.  Serves 4.

 

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup pitted nicoise olives, roughly chopped
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and drained again
• 2 tablespoons roughly torn flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces blue corn tortilla chips

 

Gently toss the avocados, tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, parsley, vinegar, olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Crumble the chips over the top and serve.