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Grilled Sea Scallops with
Grapefruit Juice
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this recipe
My friend, Chef Giovanni Leopardi, who, along with his wife, Melba,
runs Carpaccio in Hanover, New Hampshire, blends world class
Mediterranean cooking with local ingredients. Last year we supplied him
with our organic greens, and this year he is using New Hampshire and
Vermont cheese, meats and produce throughout his menu.
Last week, we introduced him to the Spragues who run Edgewater Farm
in nearby Plainfield. This farm was started by the Colby family in 1835
and was run by generations of their family until 1974 when Pooh and
Ann Sprague took over operation. Now, with their children, they grow
annuals and perennials, run a CSA and farm stand, and supply the two
Cooperatives in Hanover. With the next generation now involved, it is
not unreasonable to expect that the friendly and hard working Sprague
family will be running this beautiful farm through 2035, when it will
celebrate two-hundred years of continuous operation by the Colbys and
Spragues. It is a perfect example of the farms the New Hampshire Farm
to Restaurant Connection celebrate in our efforts to promote great New
Hampshire products to restaurants and consumers.
As we drove back to Hanover, Giovanni told us about some giant divers’
sea scallops he had served as a special. He said they averaged one-
quarter pound each and were spectacularly sweet when grilled over high
heat and minimally sauced. He has an impeccable touch with sea food,
so, when he surprised us with two filet mignon – sized scallops upon our
return to the restaurant, I already knew how I was going to prepare them.
We have been eating complex carbohydrates (beans, grains, wild rice, etc)
instead of potatoes and bread, and I decided to serve the scallops with
local dried beans prepared Tuscan style, along with artichoke bottoms
poached in water, lemon juice, olive oil and chopped pancetta. The
slightly salty taste of the pancetta echoes the bacon so frequently served
with scallops, and the earthy, garlicky flavor of the beans contrasts with
the smoky sweetness of the scallops. Pink grapefruit we had had for
breakfast was quite sweet with mild acidity and would, along with the
very first of our mint, make a light sauce for the scallops.
Although I doubt I’ll ever again have scallops this size, very fresh dry
pack local sea scallops should be perfect for this preparation and will, in
fact, be easier to time while grilling.
Two servings:
4 – 6 ounces very fresh dry packed sea scallops (they are slightly sticky
and are in no liquid – if you see scallops in milky liquid, they have had
liquid and a chemical preservative added)
Extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh grapefruit juice, plus several grapefruit segments
2 teaspoons fresh mint, chopped, optional
Kosher or seas salt and freshly ground black pepper
Halve grapefruit and, using a paring knife, slice between a segment and
its membrane on all sides, freeing the pulp. If can be removed whole or
in fragments. Repeat for 6-8 segments. Set segments aside.
Juice remainder of grapefruit, yielding at least ½ cup.
Place juice into a bowl just large enough to hold scallops, add 1 ½
tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, mix and add scallops. Marinate for 10
minutes.
Heat grill or ridged grill pan over highest heat.
Remove scallops from marinade, drizzle lightly with olive oil and rub oil
over scallops and sprinkle with salt and ground pepper.
Pour marinade into a small shallow sauté pan and reduce over medium-
high heat until slightly thickened; add reserved grapefruit segments, set
aside and keep warm
Place scallops on grill or grill pan and grill until well marked on first
side. Turn and grill second side until scallops just firm up (springy
resistance begins to replace the soft touch of the uncooked scallop).
Cooking time is less on the second side and will vary with the size and
temperature of the scallops and with the intensity of the heat. Scallops
are done when they are not yet opaque in the middle; do not overcook –
cooking continues from residual heat.
Plate on warm serving plates, pour sauce over and around scallops and
sprinkle with chopped mint. We chose Tuscan beans and artichoke hearts
as sides, but in another week we would have had our new asparagus and
perhaps sauced the scallops with one made from our early rhubarb.
Grilled local sea scallops are versatile, lending themselves to many
preparations. Become familiar with the “feel” of properly cooked
scallops so that timing becomes easy. They are fine with just a drizzle of
best quality extra virgin olive oil and lemon, and any sauce should be
light and compatible with the sweetness of this local treasure.
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice
president of the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president
of the NH Farm to Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton
(NH) Farmers' Market. Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows
certified organic herbs, greens and berries at Weather Hill Farm in
Sanbornton, NH.
Grapefruit Juice
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this recipe
My friend, Chef Giovanni Leopardi, who, along with his wife, Melba,
runs Carpaccio in Hanover, New Hampshire, blends world class
Mediterranean cooking with local ingredients. Last year we supplied him
with our organic greens, and this year he is using New Hampshire and
Vermont cheese, meats and produce throughout his menu.
Last week, we introduced him to the Spragues who run Edgewater Farm
in nearby Plainfield. This farm was started by the Colby family in 1835
and was run by generations of their family until 1974 when Pooh and
Ann Sprague took over operation. Now, with their children, they grow
annuals and perennials, run a CSA and farm stand, and supply the two
Cooperatives in Hanover. With the next generation now involved, it is
not unreasonable to expect that the friendly and hard working Sprague
family will be running this beautiful farm through 2035, when it will
celebrate two-hundred years of continuous operation by the Colbys and
Spragues. It is a perfect example of the farms the New Hampshire Farm
to Restaurant Connection celebrate in our efforts to promote great New
Hampshire products to restaurants and consumers.
As we drove back to Hanover, Giovanni told us about some giant divers’
sea scallops he had served as a special. He said they averaged one-
quarter pound each and were spectacularly sweet when grilled over high
heat and minimally sauced. He has an impeccable touch with sea food,
so, when he surprised us with two filet mignon – sized scallops upon our
return to the restaurant, I already knew how I was going to prepare them.
We have been eating complex carbohydrates (beans, grains, wild rice, etc)
instead of potatoes and bread, and I decided to serve the scallops with
local dried beans prepared Tuscan style, along with artichoke bottoms
poached in water, lemon juice, olive oil and chopped pancetta. The
slightly salty taste of the pancetta echoes the bacon so frequently served
with scallops, and the earthy, garlicky flavor of the beans contrasts with
the smoky sweetness of the scallops. Pink grapefruit we had had for
breakfast was quite sweet with mild acidity and would, along with the
very first of our mint, make a light sauce for the scallops.
Although I doubt I’ll ever again have scallops this size, very fresh dry
pack local sea scallops should be perfect for this preparation and will, in
fact, be easier to time while grilling.
Two servings:
4 – 6 ounces very fresh dry packed sea scallops (they are slightly sticky
and are in no liquid – if you see scallops in milky liquid, they have had
liquid and a chemical preservative added)
Extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh grapefruit juice, plus several grapefruit segments
2 teaspoons fresh mint, chopped, optional
Kosher or seas salt and freshly ground black pepper
Halve grapefruit and, using a paring knife, slice between a segment and
its membrane on all sides, freeing the pulp. If can be removed whole or
in fragments. Repeat for 6-8 segments. Set segments aside.
Juice remainder of grapefruit, yielding at least ½ cup.
Place juice into a bowl just large enough to hold scallops, add 1 ½
tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, mix and add scallops. Marinate for 10
minutes.
Heat grill or ridged grill pan over highest heat.
Remove scallops from marinade, drizzle lightly with olive oil and rub oil
over scallops and sprinkle with salt and ground pepper.
Pour marinade into a small shallow sauté pan and reduce over medium-
high heat until slightly thickened; add reserved grapefruit segments, set
aside and keep warm
Place scallops on grill or grill pan and grill until well marked on first
side. Turn and grill second side until scallops just firm up (springy
resistance begins to replace the soft touch of the uncooked scallop).
Cooking time is less on the second side and will vary with the size and
temperature of the scallops and with the intensity of the heat. Scallops
are done when they are not yet opaque in the middle; do not overcook –
cooking continues from residual heat.
Plate on warm serving plates, pour sauce over and around scallops and
sprinkle with chopped mint. We chose Tuscan beans and artichoke hearts
as sides, but in another week we would have had our new asparagus and
perhaps sauced the scallops with one made from our early rhubarb.
Grilled local sea scallops are versatile, lending themselves to many
preparations. Become familiar with the “feel” of properly cooked
scallops so that timing becomes easy. They are fine with just a drizzle of
best quality extra virgin olive oil and lemon, and any sauce should be
light and compatible with the sweetness of this local treasure.
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice
president of the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president
of the NH Farm to Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton
(NH) Farmers' Market. Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows
certified organic herbs, greens and berries at Weather Hill Farm in
Sanbornton, NH.
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