No. 282: Citrusy, Buttery Bay Scallops; Butter-Pecan Cookies; Gingery Short Ribs
Plus: Thai Peanut Chicken, Curried Rice Pilaf, Maftoul and Lemony Fennel
🧑🍳 The Best Way to Cook Bay Scallops
My friend Bill texted me Thanksgiving afternoon to say that once again, these Simple Sautéed Scallops with a Citrus Pan Sauce had been a hit at his holiday feast. He makes them as an appetizer every year, setting out a platter with toothpicks for everyone to spear as they please. I was happy to get that text.
And then an email arrived on Friday from The Fish House saying they were putting bay scallops on sale for Friday and Saturday. I talked to proprietor Everett Whiting and he said they hadn’t been able to ship off-Island on Wednesday so there was a huge surplus. (The Vineyard Gazette reports that the bay scallop harvest is bountiful this year.) I hopped over to The Fish House (located at 17 Airport Road between Black Sheep and MV Wine & Spirits) and bought a pound, though I should have bought more to freeze.
I now had scallops on the brain – and in my fridge! I knew I wanted to make the same recipe that Bill had made, but I wanted to serve the scallops over something other than my usual rice or polenta.
First, I considered something crunchy, remembering that I’d paired them with my Crispy Smashed Potatoes for a Super Bowl snack back in No. 238, our January 31 newsletter. So good!
But that was more of a starter and I wanted to serve my scallops for supper. I went hunting through my pantry and found a box of maftoul (imported from Palestine by Canaan Fair Trade) that I had picked up at Ghost Island Farm some time ago.
Maftoul resembles Israeli couscous but is actually bulghur wheat and wheat flour rolled by hand and dried in the sun, whereas Israeli couscous (which isn’t really couscous) is essentially a tiny round pasta shape, extruded through a die. Both can be pre-toasted, but I found this maftoul to have a nuttier flavor and sturdier texture than Israeli couscous. It did a marvelous job of cradling the scallops and soaking up the lemony, buttery pan sauce. (And yes, I snuck in a few teeny tomatoes that were the very last to come out of my hoop house. They had a good run!)
🔪 Tip
If the price of a pound of bay scallops puts them out of reach for you, consider buying a half-pound or even just a big handful. By sautéing them and making a pan sauce from the browned bits they leave behind, you can stretch that scallop flavor over whatever you serve them with. Turn a half-pound into dinner for two.
🐟 Yes, Fluke
Before we leave seafood and buttery pan sauces behind, I thought I’d mention that I bought some more flash-frozen fluke from Martha’s Vineyard Seafood Collaborative at the first West Tisbury Winter Farmers’ Market. (The next is coming up this weekend, Saturday, Dec. 7). You don’t have to be part of the CSF to buy their fish – they sell the frozen fish à la carte. I made this Pan-Fried Fluke with Lemon-Caper-Thyme Butter Sauce and it was lovely. Because of the flash-freezing and vacuum packing, the fish is incredibly fresh tasting when you cook it.
🍲 Cold Weather Cooking
Now that the temperature has plummeted, it’s time to make short ribs. I really like this recipe for Braised Short Ribs with Ginger, Coriander and Apricots because it boasts a flavor that’s a bit spunkier than other short rib preparations.
If you want to serve the short ribs for a party, you could get fancy and serve them over Curried Rice Pilaf with Peas, Crispy Shallots, Almonds, and Coconut. Or skip the short ribs and eat that rice all on its own for supper some night.
You know what else would be good with that rice? These Thai Peanut, Lemongrass and Coconut Roasted Chicken Thighs.
🥦 Greening Winter
Beetlebung Farm has a nice stash of slim fennel bulbs at their lovely new farm stand. I know most of us tend to use fennel in soups and stews – or raw in salads. But it is also delicious on its own as a side dish. Try this recipe for Brown-Braised Fennel with Meyer Lemon Pan Sauce. More pan sauce! More lemon! (You could use any citrus in place of the Meyer Lemon.)
I also picked up a beautiful head of Romanesco cauliflower at Cronig’s. I wound up slicing it in thick pieces and adding them to a pan of roasted chicken thighs half-way through cooking.
But you could do Stir-Fried Romanesco with Garlic, Lemon, and Parmigiano or better yet, use the romanesco as an excuse to make a colorful and nutritious lunch from this recipefor a Brown Rice & Cauliflower Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas, Avocado, Pine Nuts, and Limey Sauce.
🍪 Cookie Spotlight
I’m trying to pace myself on cookie baking. Which means I’ve got to prioritize making my very favorites. So this weekend it will be Abby Dodge’s Butter Pecan Slice-and-Bake Cookies, which I’ve made nearly every year for the past 20 years! They are so good, I should really make a second batch and keep the log in the freezer to slice and bake later. And here’s a great tip from Abby:
🔪 TIP
To help the logs keep their round shape, set them in empty cardboard paper towel tubes that have been cut lengthwise. Refrigerate until very firm, at least four hours or up to two days. Or freeze for up to three months.
If I’ve got time, I’ll make a batch of my Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. The recipe yields a lot, so it takes a little time to bake all of them off.
Let me know what you’re baking!
🎄🎁 📩 Gift Giving
And don’t forget that we’ve got a special holiday discount offer running in the month of December – 20 percent off a one-year paid subscription to Cook the Vineyard. (That’s $40 instead of $50.) It would make a perfect gift for the cooks and food lovers on your list – or for yourself.
As a paid subscriber, you get 52 full newsletters (like mini-magazines) per year; free subscribers receive 12 newsletters (one per month) in a year. Paid subscribers also have access to online chats, get early notification of events, and receive bonus content.
Thank you, as always, for being a part of our wonderful cooking community.
— Susie Middleton
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🍽️ What’s Happening Around the Island
The West Tisbury Winter Farmers’ Market pops up at the Ag Hall this weekend (Saturday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.). The next winter market will be Saturday, Dec. 21.
Congratulations to Buckley’s Catering for winning the Chowder Cup in Edgartown last weekend.
The first annual Holly & Ivy Holiday Ball debuts this season on Friday, December 13th at 7 p.m. at the Harbor View Hotel. A new addition to Christmas in Edgartown festivities, the ball, presented by HoverFly Events, benefits The Martha's Vineyard Boys and Girls Club. Tickets are on sale now.
Orange Peel Bakery will have treats for sale at this weekend’s Aquinnah Artisans Holiday Fair, Saturday, Dec. 4 and Sunday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Grey Barn has announced a line-up of sweet treats for the holidays, including bake-at-home cinnamon buns you can pre-order and pick up either Dec. 23 or 24.
