scallops | food & foto

Tag Archives: scallops

{my mid-week meal : seared scallops with braised broccoli rabe}

what can i say?! – i just love alliteration. 😉

i also love anything seafood related… especially scallops! they are one of my all-time favourites! when i lived in NYC, i would make scallops about once a month for my lovely roommate and myself. we always looked forward to it, and she always appreciated it! sharing good food with good people is just one of THE BEST things in life!

i feel like i can confidently say that i have pretty much perfected the method in which scallops should be cooked… particularly fresh scallops. it’s best to treat them almost like a steak in the sense that you want them to be very dry to start, seasoned with good salt, and seared in a hot dry pan {cast iron is my choice.} they are delicate and tender, much like a good steak. i purchased these scallops from my favourite local market and they are locally-sourced and so so fresh! i patted them down with a clean paper towel and added them to a super hot pan for about 2-3 minutes on one side, until they were ready to flip… which is the key step in the process… they should gently and easily remove from the pan when ready to turn. then, the next key step is to add some yummy grass-fed butter {my choice} and baste, baste, baste… for another 2-3 minutes on high heat.

finally, remove from heat and allow to rest for about a minute or so… then use a fork to slice into that buttery sweet goodness with ease and oh my – enjoy every bite!

i served mine with braised broccoli rabe (aka “rapini”) for a complimentary savory/bitter component.

this meal was so divine and delicious!

nom nom!!

p.s. – if you don’t already, please follow me on instagram – @foodnfoto – to further the experience with all things food and foto related! 🙂

Tags: 100 mile diet, buy local, cooking, eat local, eat with the seasons, food, food and foto, food blogger, food blogging, food is good, food photographer, food photography, foodnfoto, foodography, fotography, fresh, local, maryland, nom nom, scallops, seasonal eating, yum

Comments 7 Comments
Categories blogging, food, food blog, food blogger, food photography, healthy eating, maryland, photography, the food, the foodie

{thirsty thursday – celebrating 33-years with pan-seared sea scallops, and my favourite beer ever}

21 Nov

my goodness do i love scallops!

pan-seared in some amazing butter… click here to see the best and only cooking method one should use to make these decadent sea-dwellers. like most good things in life, it should be done low and slow.

and i also love asparagus!

i usually do my best to eat with the seasons… which means i wouldn’t normally be eating asparagus right now, but hey – i’m the birthday girl, i can do whatever i want, right?! 😉

my birthday {which is tomorrow, actually} is always so close to thanksgiving {it was ON thanksgiving last year and the year i was born}, but i admit i’m happy that it falls in an entirely different week this year! i haven’t really been thinking of the holidays as much this year since i switched jobs {that’s a whole big, long blogpost or BOOK waiting to happen} so it’s been nice to really focus my energy on ME. i do have to work tomorrow, which is kind of a bummer – but i’m celebrating today and tonight with this amazing food and drink.

i like to spoil myself on my birthday. i started this morning with my favourite americano from my favourite coffee shop and a sinful pastry they call an “apple jesus” – can’t wait to try that! and i plan to have peach-wood-smoked salmon for lunch, followed by the above amazing meal for dinner… swallowed down gently with this :

la fin du monde – french, which translates to “the end of the world”

it is a triple-fermented golden ale that is high in alcohol content {9% : i tried to finish the whole bottle once – not a good idea for this 110-pound lass} la fin du monde is full of wonderful champagne-like bubbles which deliver hints of honey and fruit, accompanied by floral notes that linger pleasantly and round-out with a smooth, dry finish.

i have one every year on my birthday… and i always cook myself a super nice meal, usually consisting of seafood, since it’s my ultimate fav. i am already salivating, just thinking about my day full of amazing food…

happy birthday to me! 🙂

Tags: audrey michelle, beer, birthday dinner, cooking, craft beer, dinner, eating, food, food and foto, food photography, happy birthday, la fin du monde, photography, scallops, sea scallops, seafood, special meals, specialty beer, specialty foods, thirsty thursday

Comments 4 Comments
Categories the food

{thirsty thursday} – pan-seared sea scallops w/ an old-school abbey ale

23 Aug

did i mention how i got promoted?!

so, when something BIG happens, i like to celebrate with food. and since i can’t eat a dozen maryland blue crabs right now, i opted for other aquatic delicacies…

a huge pile of freshly steamed wild-caught pink shrimp, colorado sweet corn on the cob, and delicious pan-seared sea scallops.

i take a lot of pride in being able to make really really good scallops. tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth amazing scallops! i call them “meat marshmallows” — so delicious! i’m really missing both the accessibility and lower cost of seafood from living on the east coast… this meal wasn’t cheap. but hey, i just got promoted, and so i wanted to treat myself! i deserve it!

if you’ve never tried to make your own scallops because you’re scared of screwing up, i’m here to take away that fear my friends. it’s really very simple to cook them, just keep it like most things should be in life –

low and slow. Continue reading →