Little Quicky: Scallop Carpaccio

I’m in the mood to share this little recipe with all of you lovely readers. Because it is nice and sunny in Montreal and because I’m having a relaxing moment on this Saturday while my kids are napping (both at the same time is what I call a miracle!). I don’t have much time but I believe I have just enough to share this simple recipe with you. Ok, it’s seafood – AGAIN - I hope you don’t mind too much. I’ll give it a break after this and switch to some meat… and sugar (I’m due for a good desert!). If you’re a seafood lover, then I guess you are well served these days!

FRESH SCALLOP CARPACCIO

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 big scallops

2 green scallions, finely sliced

2 tbsp excellent olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Maldon sea salt flakes

PREPARATION

In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, lime juice and scallions.

In a small skillet, slightly toast the poppy seeds. Be careful not to burn them. Take off the heat and let cool.

With a good knife, delicately slice your scallops. The slices should be no more than 3mm. Place them on small serving plates.

Drizzle the scallops with the olive oil and lime juice mixture. Decorate with a few pinches of roasted poppy seeds. Finish off with a nice pinch of sea salt flakes. Serve and enjoy immediately.

Oyster Season Is Still On So Have Some More

Because it’s still oyster season I’m going to write again about the sea’s gem! Of course, some of you probably hate the damn thing and I kind of understand you. Who wants to eat a raw, slimy and salty mollusk? Not many. But trust me, once you try the slimy beast, you might realize how good and refined it actually is. And you just might get addicted to it, even if it’s against your own good will!

There are easier ways to start eating oysters than to have them naked and raw. Although they’re not my favorite once cooked, they can be easier to gulp on once they’re not raw. Plus, if you add some flavor to them, a taste to which you might not be accustomed to becomes more subtle. But take it to the next level fast; cooked oysters might be good but they’re not the real deal. And if you want to pass as an oyster lover, people won’t believe you if the only way you like yours are cooked with a bunch of unnecessary ingredients on top.

The best way to eat an oyster is still raw with a hint of lemon but hey, if you’re gonna eat a lot of them and often, why not try different variations? Here are some of my favorites!

OYSTER WITH CUCUMBER AND MINT SALSA

INGREDIENTS  

1 small Lebanese cucumber, deseeded and finely diced

½ red onion or shallot, finely chopped

2 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

PREPARATION

In a bowl, mix of the ingredients. Spoon a little on top of freshly opened oysters. Serve immediately .

Note: Add the mint to the salsa only when ready to serve. If not, the mint will become brown.  

BACON AND GRUYÈRE OYSTERS

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup 35% cream

1 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

¼ cup grated gruyere cheese

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

4 slices of bacon cut in small pieces

6 oysters

PREPARATION

Open the oysters and put them in a bowl with the juice. Keep the bottom of the shells.

In a skillet, cooked the bacon pieces until they become nice and crispy. Place on an absorbing paper and take off the excess fat. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the cream and reduce it by half.

In a skillet, cook the olive oil and the shallot. Add the cream and the oyster juice. Blend well.

When ready to serve, preheat your oven to broil. Place the bottom shells on a cooking sheet and put an oyster back in each shell. Put a small spoonful of the cream mixture on top of the oyster and top off with some gruyere cheese and crispy bacon. Put in the oven and cook until the cheese has melted and is slightly golden.

Note: Be very careful, the shell will be dangerously hot when you take it out of the oven so it’s better to eat with a small fork.

Can’t get enough of fish? You need ceviche!

A few years back I was in Peru for a couple of months doing humanitarian work (sure makes me feel good to say this!). I had an amazing time and can tell you that Peruvians are more than welcoming and generous. And they most certainly know how to crack a good smile! But, as much as my time there was amazing and fulfilling, there was a downside to the whole thing: I was way up in the mountains, at about 3500 meters up in the air. Way up there, the food is great but pretty much evolves around rice and potatoes (can you believe living on such a diet made me lose 10 pounds?); forget about having a good steak or, even worse, some fresh fish up there... you might regret it.

So when I ended my trip and spent a few days in Lima, right next to the ocean, there was one thing I was dying to do, and that was to eat raw fish. And boy did I eat some amazing fish there. Ceviches are at their best in the capital and I’ve yet to find a place where they serve ceviches that good (if you know of a place in Montreal or the surroundings, can you please let me know?).

But I did bring back a few tricks to make sure I could reproduce some of the good stuff at home. Although never as good, this is close to what you can find over there. The following recipe, if you go ahead and try it, starts as the most bizarre mix of ingredients and can, well, look unappetizing (my husband certainly didn’t think that this dish looked appetizing!). But, don’t judge a book by its cover. This ceviche in rocoto cream is absolutely delicious and different (my husband ended up loving the dish and he's quite a tough critic). It brings a little something to your plate that you don’t often find in this part of the planet. So if you’re feeling adventurous and you love fish, try this one and book your plane ticket to Peru. I guarantee you’ll want to head out there really soon!

CEVICHE EN CREMA DE ROCOTO

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ pounds fresh firm white flesh fish (like halibut, sea bass or flounder fillets)

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ leeks, white part only, roughly chopped

2 celery branches, roughly chopped

¼ small white onion, roughly chopped

2 large scallops

1 tbsp fish stock

½ cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp rocoto paste

Juice of about 8-10 key limes

salt

1 red onion, cut in very fine slices

1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels

1 cooked yam

PREPARATION

In a skillet, over low heat, blanche the celery, leek and white onion in olive oil (about 5 minutes). Set aside and let cool.

Combine the scallops and fish stock in the jar of a blender or food processor. Blend for about ½ minute at low speed. With the motor running, add the vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream, as you would to make a mayonnaise. The mixture should take the consistency of a light, chunky mayonnaise.

Add in the cooled vegetables. Blend for a minute or two. Add the rocoto paste. Adjust taste to your liking of spiciness. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Cube the fish in small pieces and sprinkle with salt. Keep chilled until ready to serve. Just before serving add the key lime juice. Adjust taste to your liking.

When ready to serve, display yams and fresh corn kernels. Add the fish ceviche and top with the scallops mayonnaise. Finish off with red onions as decoration.

Note: You can find ready made rocoto paste in specialized or latin markets.

Simple Scallop Ceviche For A Nice Sunny Day

Ok, so I’m about to show off a little right now… and will probably make a few people jealous. I’m writing this blog entry while sitting on my balcony, enjoying a magnificent sunny and warm day. I just had a fresh salad and, most decadent thing of all, had a Corona to top it all off (don’t assume this is something I do every day!). This is the life! This is the real perk of being on maternity leave. Although I have sleepless nights and have to cater to a newborn, I have to admit that this makes things relatively better and much easier to cope with.

The only thing that will get my big butt off this chair? Cooking diner for my family. You know the new Bruno Mars song? “The lazy song” in which he says “Today I don’t feel like doing anything”? Well, that’s exactly what I’m doing and I’m loving it! Even writing this recipe feels like pure pleasure and, almost, feels relaxing! After all the chaos of the past few weeks, this feels like vacation and I’m indulging 100%.

So what recipe will I introduce today? Mmm. A nice scallop ceviche. Perfect for this beautiful day. Even better for a woman who hasn’t eaten raw fish in almost 1 year! Enjoy this with a crisp chilled white wine and you’re bound to think this was a Saturday.

SCALLOP CEVICHE

Makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

8-10 large scallops

 1 small shallot, minced

¼ red bell pepper, thinly chopped

About 1 tbsp Yuzu

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp rice vinegar

Sea salt and black pepper

About 2 tsp black sesame seeds

PREPARATION

Finely dice the scallops.

In a small bowl, mix the Yuzu, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Add the scallops, shallots and red peppers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish off by adding the black sesame seeds.

Note: Yuzu is a citrus fruit originating in East Asia. You can find it’s juice in specialized Asian stores.