Grilled Scallops with Corn Salad

I made this for the first time last night - a perfect late summer dish that includes fresh corn and tomatoes right from the garden.

from Food & Wine, June 2002

6 Servings

• 6 ears of corn, shucked
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (or use whatever is fresh from the garden)
• 3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup basil leaves, finely shredded
• 1 small shallot
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola, safflower, olive oil)
• 1-1/2 lbs. dry sea scallops

Cook corn in boiling water until tender. Drain, cool, then slice off kernels into a large bowl. Add tomatoes, scallions, and basil. Season with salt and pepper.

In a blender, puree the shallot with the vinegar, hot water, and mustard. With the blender on, slowly add 6 tablespoons of the oil until combined. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper, then toss with the corn salad. (If making a smaller batch, consider hand whisking vinaigrette in a bowl as you slowly add the oil.)

In a large bowl toss the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil with the scallops; season with salt and pepper. Heat a large grill pan and cook over moderately high heat, in batches - about 4 minutes per batch.

Mound the corn salad on plates, top with scallops and serve.

Pan Seared Chicken with Brahm’s Claret Wine Sauce

I’ve been making this entree for years now as it has a luxurious taste yet easy and quick to assemble making it a weeknight favorite. I’ve long lost the original recipe found on the back of the bottle of John Brahm’s Claret Wine Sauce so what follows is an evolution of a great recipe

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 4 Boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• Pan searing flour
• 1 minced shallot
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Brahm’s Claret Wine Sauce
• 1/4 Cup heavy cream

Heat olive oil in a 12 inch saut» pan over medium to high heat, lightly coat chicken in pan searing flour. When oil begins to smoke add chicken. After chicken has browned on both sides move to edges of pan and reduce heat. Add butter and shallots. Saute shallots until slightly softened. Add red wine vinegar and deglaze pan. After vinegar has reduced by one half, add Claret sauce. Simmer an additional minute then add cream. Simmer on low until sauce begins to thicken.

Plate chicken pieces next to a side of rice or roasted potatoes. Pour sauce over both and serve.

Steak au Poivre

Adapted from a recipe published in Saveur magazine.

Steak au Poivre, or “peppered steak” is the grandfather of all steak rubs and has been subjected to a wide range of interpretations. The following is a personal adaptation of a recipe published in Saveur magazine. Use this as a base to start then get creative. Try a mix of peppercorns, add some of your favorite spices to the rub, and experiment with different cuts of beef.

• 3 tbsp. black peppercorns, crushed or very coarsely ground
• 4 6-oz. beef filets, about 1 1/2″ thick
• Salt (kosher or sea salt)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1-2 shallots
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup cognac
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Spread crushed pepper on a plate and roll the filets in it to coat. Season liberally on both sides with salt. (Note, if you use a beef broth that has a fair amount of sodium, reduce the amount of salt accordingly).

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add filets and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. It’s important to give each filet plenty of room in the skillet, so if need be, cook the beef in batches. After the first turn, add shallots. Transfer steaks to warmed plates or a warmed oven while leaving the shallots in the pan. If you prefer your beef cooked medium, heat the oven to about 275 - 300 degrees. Cover loosely with foil while you prepare the sauce.

Add cognac to hot pan, then carefully ignite (keep lid handy so flame can be extinguished if necessary). Allow alcohol to burn off, about 1 minute, and then add stock. Cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, 3-5 minutes. Pour over steaks.

Notes

Crushing black pepper by hand can be a tedious task. As a short cut, I set my pepper grinder to its coarsest setting, which yields similar results. It is important to keep the pepper very course because fine grinding kills its smoke flavored accents.

Cognac can be expensive so consider substituting with brandy. This will save you money with little to no impact on the flavor.

Accompany Steak au Poivre with a basic side dish of garlic smashed potatoes.

Wine Suggestions

Red Wine: I’ve struggled with this one because I can’t seem to think of anything better than a robust Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. These have the requisite tannin levels to marry with the beef and stand up to the pepper. I think avoiding a wine with a high alcohol level would be good advice, because alcohol adds more pepper flavor to the dish.