November 13, 2022
For the salad, I first made the vinaigrette in the bottom of the bowl using about 3 tbsp EVOO, a tsp of pumpkin oil, and about 2 tsp red wine vinegar (just pour leftover red wine in a glass mason jar and let sit for 6-12 months. I originally started with about 1/2 cup high quality store-bought red wine vinegar and I've added to it ever since. For the each additional batch, I pour about 1/2 -3/4 cup from the first batch into a new large mason jar...no need to purchase red-wine vinegar ever again. And there's always a use for your leftover red wine.) I added some salt and pepper and whisked the vinaigrette until it emulsified. Then I tossed in a handful of arugula and radicchio pieces. To finish, I mixed in some roasted acorn squash, crimini & shiitake mushrooms, and pumpkin seeds (see bottom 3 pictures above, for process.)
For the scallop glaze, I mixed about 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice and 1/4 cup dry white wine, with half a finely-diced jalapeño, one diced clove of garlic, and a couple tbsp of local honey. Boil and reduce to simmer. Keep at a simmer until it thickens.
After browning the scallops in butter, remove them to rest and drain on a paper towel. They should be opaque in the middle and not translucent (unless they're same-day fresh or sushi grade...in which case you should just cook them to your prefered doneness.). Add the sauce to the remaining brown butter in the scallop pan, and scrape up any remaining bits of scallop frond. If you need to reduce-thicken more, quickly boil...but you don't want your scallops to cool too much, so your sauce should coat the back of a spoon before adding to the butter. Plate your scallops and strain sauce in a mini-sieve as you pour over the top.
I purchased one octopus tentacle already pre-boiled (from Nelson's Meat & Fish...where I also sourced the scallops), so it just needed to be quickly grilled to finish. Unfortunately, my outdoor gas grill is headed for the grill graveyard, and I wasn't up for building a fire in my little Lodge Sportsman's Grill, so I broiled the tentacle instead. Next time, I'll definitely grill it outdoors so I get the smokey taste & char, or sear it quickly stovetop in my Le Creuset enameled cast iron grill pan. It was still delicious after being broiled, but I missed the bit of char from the grill. It's Sunday night, and I was feeling a bit lazy...which is fine, but with my short-cut I sacrificed a bit of the char taste I love.
This meal received an "absolutely delicious" rating from my husband, and I was pleased that it was packed full of essential nutrients...we each went back for additional servings of salad! (There wasn't more seafood to be had, unfortunately. I only purchased enough for one serving each.)
This meal is rich in Iron, Omega-3, Calcium, Vitamins B12; E, K,C, Potassium, Magnesium, Niacin, and more!
Comments