Sophie's Mushy Peas with Seared Scallops

Ahem. Please take note: I am throwing a healthy dinner into the mix of  Super Bowl snacks and Valentine Day sweets. Have I mentioned I am still watching my diet after the indulgences of the holidays? And this certainly fits the bill. Scallops are my favorite seafood and I much prefer them simply prepared. Oh, I can do sauces and other garnishes for guests, but I like easy, lo-cal and fast for myself. So searing with a little prosciutto around them is my favorite way to serve them. Simplicity itself.

When I got Sophie Dahl's book last year I remember reading this particular recipe and thinking what a great idea it was. I love peas, but they are so unruly on a plate. In a salad? Fine. On a plate? No thanks. Here's the answer: Sophie's version of Mushy Peas, a British classic. You've got to try this.....and don't you just adore crème fraiche? Yum. I'm in love with these mushy peas! With any kind of seafood, it's delicious. I just happen to prefer scallops and this makes such a pretty presentation....even if it is just for me.


Char-grilled Scallops on Pea Purée
Adapted from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl

Ingredients:

The peas:
2 cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon crème fraiche
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

The scallops:
Olive oil
4 ounces prosciutto, cut into 16 one inch strips
8 scallops
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (optional)


Method:

Cook the peas in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and put in a food processor. Add the butter, mint and crème fraiche. Purée. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Wrap each scallop with a thin slice of prosciutto. Secure with a toothpick. 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the scallops into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until well browned. Season each side with salt and pepper as it is cooking. When nearly done, throw in the zest and chili flakes. Serve immediately over the puréed peas.  Serves 2-3.

the devil made me do it

OK, so you're going to be mad at me.  First I post two weeks of fattening Super Bowl snacks and then follow it up today with a chocolate cake. Don't remind me, I know. We're all watching our diets, trying to eat healthier in 2011. And to top it all off, I don't even like chocolate all that much...one of life's lucky little breaks. I'm not going to say I never eat chocolate, I do. But I don't crave it, unlike a cousin I had who was allergic to it; at Christmas and Easter when we were children, my mother used to hide a box of Sander's chocolate (the only kind to eat back in the old days if you lived in the Detroit area) under the lid of our baby grand piano thinking my cousin wouldn't find it (not the greatest hiding place, Mom), but Marci's nose knew right where to go and she ate it until she got sick, poor thing. Every. Single. Year. Talk about addictions; she was the worst chocolate fanatic I ever knew. Well, maybe one other, my friend Polly.

In the 70's my friend Nancy introduced me to See's. She wouldn't eat any other kind. Even my father used to keep one of those huge Hershey bars in the fridge and every evening he would break off a piece. How about you? Do you have some stashed? Do you sneak it? Eat it in bed? Hide it so your family doesn't find it? Fess up, people. Tell me your chocolate secrets!

Anyway, just about everyone I know loves chocolate anything and besides, Valentine's Day is around the corner and everyone knows about the connection between chocolate and romance. Did you know the celebrated Italian libertine Casanova took chocolate before bedding his conquests on account of chocolate's reputation as a subtle aphrodisiac? Hmmmmm. And then I found this little gem of information: in the United States, the typical person eats 11.5 pounds of chocolate annually. Somebody is eating my share! Could it be YOU?

So here's the first thing: if you're a chocoholic you probably already have Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts , but then you should also have  Lisa Yockleson's book and thirdly, trust me when I say this cake is right up your alley. Dense, dark and divine. We should all have a great recipe for a flourless chocolate cake like this in our repertoire. I took it to a party over the holidays. It was gone in a flash. I should have made two...but I kept telling everyone: you only need a sliver, it's so rich. Nobody paid any attention to me.
(Dare I mention a dollop of whipped cream on each slice wouldn't go amiss?)

Flourless Bittersweet Chocolate Cake
From Chocolate by Lisa Yockelson

Ingredients:

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid (I used Callebaut bittersweet chocolate)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to tepid

5 large eggs, separated

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

cocoa powder and confectioners sugar for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Lightly butter the inside of a 9" springform pan

Sift the sugar, cocoa powder and salt onto a piece of wax paper

Whisk the melted butter and melted chocolate together until smooth.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs yolks and sugar mixture for a couple minutes until thickened. Add vanilla and then the chocolate/butter mixture.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and beat until firm peaks (not stiff) form.

Stir 2 or 3 spoonfuls of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in  the remaining whites lightly but thoroughly.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until set. The baked cake will form puffs and fissures here and there.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. It will sink and collapse at the cracks.

Release the cake from the pan, remove the sides and sift cocoa powder and confectioners sugar on top.

Get Ready.......Super Bowl Snacks II

Well, there it is. It's going to be the Packers and the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.  And here are my last two football-watching snacks; both are scrumptious, but entirely different. One is an old favorite and the other I found in Donna Hay Magazine. You'll like them both. 

Bacon pinwheels have been around forever. There are recipes using packaged croissant dough, pie pastry or puff pastry dough. Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, no cheese. Scallions or parsley or both. In fact, the only constant is bacon. I've made them all ways but if you want to make them dressy, I've found the puff pastry/bacon only version makes the prettiest presentation. 

Here's the basic recipe...it really adapts well to either puff  pastry or croissant dough. And you can stuff them with whatever takes your fancy. In these, I used bacon, scallions, 2 cheeses and croissant dough. You can even use lo-cal versions of some of the ingredients. This is such perfect football food and a snap to make. Is there anyone who doesn't love bacon? Hello out there? Anyone at all?
I didn't think so.

Bacon Pinwheels

Ingredients:

1 package of crescent roll dough 

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 

5 green onions, chopped 

1 cup grated cheddar cheese, room temperature

8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Unroll the crescent rolls and seal all the edges. Flatten slightly with a rolling pin.

Mix the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and onions and spread evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with the chopped bacon. Roll up like a jelly roll and refrigerate at least 1/2 an hour. Makes it easier to slice.

Slice in 1/4 inch slices, put on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake  12-15 minutes or until well browned.

Last but not least is a rather unusual football snack, but the group I made them for last year really liked them. Of course, they take a bit longer than some recipes because you have to cook and cool the polenta first. Do it the day before so you don't have to think about it; the rest is super simple. If you have time, make a garlic aioli...it's marvelous with these polenta sticks. I use a recipe I found in Gourmet magazine ages ago. (Which I didn't make for this photo. This is sour cream, not nearly as good.)
These crunch so nicely when you bite into them and the herbs are wonderful. You can't beat Donna Hay for recipes. Smartest thing I ever did was take a subscription.  It's worth every penny.

Enjoy the Super Bowl!



Herbed Polenta Chips
Donna Hay Magazine, Issue 51

Ingredients:

For the polenta:

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup instant polenta

1 ounce butter, chopped

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chips:

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 tablespoon oregano leaves

olive oil

Method:

To make the polenta:

Place the stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil. While whisking, slowly add the polenta. Whisk until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add the butter, Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon into a lightly greased baking pan and spread until aboutn 3/4 of an inch thick. Refrigerate until set.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut the polenta  into fingers and brush with the olive oil. Mix the herbs and roll the fingers in them. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with garlic aioli (recipe follows), sour cream or mayonnaise.

Garlic Aioli
Gourmet Magazine, February 2007

Ingredients:
2 medium heads garlic, left whole
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 teaspoons apple-cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives


Method:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. 
Cut off and discard tops of garlic heads to expose cloves, then brush each head with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Wrap heads together in foil and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool to warm. 
Squeeze garlic from skins into a food processor and purée with mayonnaise, vinegar, pepper, and salt. Transfer aioli to a bowl and stir in chives.