SLD is excited to welcome Guest Dish Kristin Fritz, culinary enthusiast and editor of the the terrific woman-to-woman website wowOwow!
What is a scallop anyway? A mollusk, a symbol of fertility and the state shell of ol’ New York. To me, though, it’s always been a special treat – something my mom would make for the two of us in a years-old small, white baking dish – to sit alongside the fried flounder that appeased my brothers’ pickier adolescent palates. The odd-looking scallops were delicious – and we kept this our little secret.
Ingredients (for two people):
8-10 good-sized fresh sea scallops
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp of garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 lemon
Heat up your broiler. Place the scallops in a baking dish that’s been misted with a little nonstick spray. Using the back of a spoon, swipe the top of each scallop with the melted butter. Then, squeeze the juice from about half a lemon over the top. Finally, lightly sprinkle garlic salt over the top of the scallops and follow this with a light sprinkle of paprika (though if you don’t like paprika, skip this part). Place the scallops under the broiler. I broil the scallops for 10 – 12 minutes, but I like them completely opaque. If you like yours a little rarer, stop at about 8 – 9 minutes.
There’s little I don’t think is a good accompaniment to broiled scallops, but for now let’s go with another of my favorites – asparagus. You can always steam your asparagus and toss it with a generous amount of lemon juice, salt and pepper, but I want a touch of crispy cheese with my dinner (obviously).
1 big bunch of asparagus with the hard ends snapped off, washed
2 tsps olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/8 – 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread it all out into one layer. Broil for 8 minutes, turning the asparagus (asparagi?) over once about halfway through. Carefully pull the dish out of the broiler and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the spread. Place it all back under the broiler and leave for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese on top is slightly browned.
I
f you’re desperate for a carb, a steamed red potato with a pat of butter or a dollop of sour cream goes great with this. Oh, and the bonus value of this meal? No need to keep an oven going for eons on a hot summer night!