Posts Tagged ‘seafood’
Scallop
Call me lazy, but I’ve been trying to keep it simple lately. Especially in the presence of good ingredients.
It just so happens that a pound of said ingredients recently landed at my place. Yesterday my friend Dorian (from Dorian’s Seafood Market) posted on my facebook wall saying she had some Nantucket Bay scallops she wanted me to try. Not being one to turn away mollusky delights, I instantly wondered what I could do with them.
Fresh scallops beg to be treated simply. they have a soft sweetness and texture to them that is easy to lose in the commotion of an overactive seasoner or a paranoid overcooker. if they’re not fresh enough to eat raw you probably shouldn’t be eaten them at all, dontcha think?
These nantucket bay scallops are smaller than scallops people would pick if it were up to them, but I love that about them. they’re bite-sized- you almost pop them like candy.
I decided to do them two ways. only one of them made it to camera.
The one you won’t see is the ceviche. Lemon, orange, siracha, salt, pepper, and some cilantro. let it sit (covered) in a fridge for a few hours and your set.
What I did manage to shoot was the pan-seared lemon-cumin preparation:
- pat the scallops dry
- Salt, Pepper, Cumin
- Get a pan very, very hot, and use a mixture of butter and olive oil
- sear it for maybe 2 minutes. they should still be tender to the touch and opaque in the center when you take them off the fire
- remove the scallops, bring the pan back to the burner, and deglaze the pan with lemon juice (and white wine if you like)
- Serve with a giant, interesting salad (and stop using iceberg lettuce, everyone mocks you about that when your back is turned)
Fishtagged
My blog has been a bit seafood-heavy as of late, and I promise that’ll change soon. That being said, you can’t really fault me for posting about seafood when I start to encounter dishes like the one above. This magical marine assemblage is an appetizer at Seafood upstart Fishtag.
Say hello to the Sea Urchin Crudo in Ocean Water. It’s a simple, naked dish that highlights the greatest characteristics of seafood. At its freshest (and you should only eat it at its freshest), Sea urchin embodies the flavor of the ocean: salty, briny, texturally interesting, and with a touch of sweetness. Bathing it in actual ocean water and kissing it with a touch of EVOO, lemon, and telicherry peppercorns rockets into the pleasure zone. Hello, mouth. Welcome to the ocean.
Fishtag has become my favorite non-sushi seafood restaurant of the moment. The concept rocks, the food is daring and the flavors are unapologetic.
They also have a fantastic menu design that bucks tradition in the face. Gone is the boring separation of appetizer and main. The key to the menu is the extremely accessible drink list. Drinks are grouped by type and flavor profile. It’s these types and flavor profiles that are the method to the madness of the menu. Apps are red, mains are black. It’s a great idea and points to a chef who wants to make it easy for you to drink something that compliments the dishes. Check it out here.
As for other dishes, eat the following:
The Roasted Salmon is perfect. Reminds me of Adolfo Garcia’s Unilateral Salmon at RioMar. The skin side is perfectly crispy, and the rest of the fish is perfect. The “Greek” salad sports a white anchovy vinaigrette and screams with loud and bold flavors that pefectly compliment the silky salmon.
The Tuna Confit and Baked Ricotta Bruschetta is a meal unto itself. It’s Rustic. It’s creative. It’s delicious. It’s only $10.
The other winner at Fishtag was the Grilled Branzino STUFFED WITH HEADCHEESE.
Stuffed.
With.
Head.
Cheese.
That’s amazing. It’s a Surf N’ Turf gang bang of epic proportions. The Branzino was crispy on the outside and moist with the juices of melted aspic. It was so good that I don’t have a photo of it. Sorry.
If you’re not a fan of head cheese, then perhaps you should head for greener pastures.
So if you’re looking for a little more “OMFG” in your seafood offerings, head to Fishtag.
You’re Welcome.