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Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 6 Issue 76 - April 19, 2004 Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net -------------------------------------------------- Hello Recipe Club, Hello Recipe Club. I hope you all had a great weekend. This week I'll share some recipes featuring Shellfish. Today I'll talk about scallops, one of my favorites. The scallop is possibly best known for its beautiful shell. It has been captured in classic works of art. Even buildings in ancient Pompeii were decorated with ornaments made from the scallop shell. While that is all fine and well, I like them because they are delicious. Scallops are a bivalve mollusk with scallop-edged, fan-shaped shells. Near the hinge, where the two shells meet, the shell is flared out on each side forming what looks like small wings. The shells are opened and closed by a single, over-sized adductor muscle which is often referred to as the "eye". The eye, or adductor muscle is the part of the scallop we eat here in the U.S. This muscle is more developed in scallops than oysters and clams because scallops are actually quite good swimmers. They move about freely through the water and over the ocean floor by opening and closing their shells together. Scallops are primarily harvested by dredging and are shucked soon after they are caught. They cannot hold their shells closed out of the water, so they must be shucked on board the ships and chilled. The sea scallop is the largest of the scallops. You usually get approximately 20-40 in one pound. I like even larger ones which can be as big as 10 to a pound. They can be bought fresh or frozen. Scallops freeze well and defrost quickly. The raw scallops are creamy white in color. Sometimes they are slightly orange. Some say these are females and some say it is due to the food (algae) they consume. I'm still not sure which explanation is correct. Scallops have a distinctly sweet odor when they are fresh. There are countless ways to prepare scallops. Never overcook them as they toughen easily. As soon as they lose their translucence and turn opaque, they are done, Sea scallops may be broiled, sautéed skewered, stir- fried, baked or fried. If you plan to serve them with a sauce, it is best to cook the scallops and the sauce separately and then combine them at he end. Bay scallops resides in bays from New England to the Gulf of Mexico. Its muscle reaches about one-half inch in diameter. You usually find about 50-90 in one pound. Bay scallop meats are white with some pink ones as well.. Be extremely careful when cooking bay scallops. They tend to overcook easily. They are sweet and tender yet firm when cooked properly. They are usually less expensive then the sea scallops. Stay tuned for some great recipes this week and if you are looking for even more, visit our current Seafood and Fish Recipe Collection: http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-seafood/ -------------------------------------------------- 121MerchantAccount.com 121merchantaccount.com offers restaurant owners merchant processing for as low as 1.64%. Not only do they save you money on processing, they can increase your business and productivity with low cost point of sale systems, gift card solutions, effective web design and internet marketing. Call toll free 800.628.5764 or Click this link: http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=412 -------------------------------------------------- Scallops Wrapped In Bacon Makes 24 Pieces Ingredients: 3 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tbsp. Mirin (Chinese Rice Wine) 1/4 tsp. hot Asian garlic chili sauce 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger 1 tsp. garlic finely chopped 1 pinch sugar 1 tsp sesame oil 12 lg. sea scallops; halved 12 thin slices bacon 24 wooden toothpicks; soaked in water for 1 hour Instructions: In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, chili sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar and oil. Add scallops and toss well. Set aside to marinate for 1/2 hour under refrigeration. Cook the bacon until lightly browned but only about half cooked. It must still be flexible enough to wrap around the scallops. Cut each piece in half. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Remove the scallops from the marinade and pat dry. Wrap each scallop in a piece of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Place the wrapped scallops on a broiler pan and cook for about 6 minutes until bacon is crispy and the scallops are firm. Serve immediately. -------------------------------------------------- Recipe Club, You can always win cool stuff at Chef2Chef.net Chefs, Caterers and Personal Chefs…No More Masking Tape! Win a New DayMark Label Applicator and 6000 dissolvable labels. A $131 value. Four winners each month. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=408 Do you need a brand new Chef Knife? Chef Revival is giving away five 7 inch Santoku-Granton Knives on April 30th to some lucky Chef2Chef.net Recipe Club members. Register for a chance to Win! http://ads.chef2Chef.net/goto.php?id=36 Register to win a copy of the Chef of the Month, Rick Bayless's cookbook, Authentic Mexican. A must have for your cookbook collection http://marketplace.chef2chef.net/sweep/ Sign up for a FREE Subscription to Food Arts Magazine. The Magazine for the Foodservice and Hospitality Industry. U.S. residents only. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=242 -------------------------------------------------- Spicy Scallop Stir Fry with Snap Peas Ingredients: 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil 4 teaspoons rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons peanut oil 1 onion, chopped 1 sweet red pepper, cut into 8 wedges 1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed 1 pound sea scallops, halved horizontally 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 3 cloves garlic, minced In a bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes and cornstarch, set aside. Heat peanut oil in a wok. Add onion, stir-fry over medium heat until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add red pepper, stir-fry until tender, 5 minutes. Add snow peas, stir-fry for 2 minutes. Mix in scallops, garlic and ginger, stir-fry until scallops are opaque, about 3 minutes. Pour in soy sauce mixture; stir-fry briefly, until thickened. -------------------------------------------------- Request FREE information and kick-start your NEW career in 2004! Our TOP Rated Culinary Institutes will provide you with the hands-on experience you need for an exciting and rewarding career in the rapidly growing culinary field. Click here http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=348 and ask for information today from a culinary school near you. You will be glad you did in 2005! -------------------------------------------------- Scallops in Cream Sauce with Spinach Fettuccine Makes 2 Servings Ingredients: 2 oz. Mushrooms, sliced 1 oz. butter 8 oz scallops 8 oz cream sauce (recipe below) 2 cups spinach fettuccine noodles, cooked al dente parmesan cheese; grated parsley, chopped Cream Sauce 1/4 cup shallots, minced 2 tsp. Garlic, minced 2 oz butter 2 oz dry vermouth 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 oz lemon juice salt; to taste pepper, to taste 1 dash cayenne pepper Preparation:: Prepare Cream Sauce by sautéing shallots and garlic in butter until transparent. Deglaze pan with vermouth. Add cream, bring to simmer and reduce by 1/3-1/2 or until slightly thickened. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Hold warm for service. Sauté mushrooms in butter about 1 minute. Add scallops and continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes just until flesh is opaque. Add cream sauce, bring to simmer and cook 1 minute. Arrange well-drained noodles on serving plate and top with creamed scallops. Garnish with cheese and parsley. -------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS, Comments, Technical Support: http://forums.chef2chef.net |