I know, I was away for quite some time. *doesn’t make eye contact* – Haha. I was actually nursing a tummy pain problem and when I eventually got better, it was this design journal’s turn to experience problems of its own. Anyhow, I’m very very happy to be back. (Insert megawatt smile here).
What better way to start this month than by sharing an experimental concoction I came up with? Cool beans!
During the beginning of the weekend, I was told that they got some fresh scallops for me and I can do whatever I wish with said scallops. The thing is, I get really excited when I experiment with cooking. It reminds me so much of designing, you can play around with different ideas and apply creativity. I also like taking advantage of fresh ingredients because the flavor they possess is simply awesome.
I definitely had a lot of fun doing this and I knew what I wanted to come up with – a savory scallop dish. Though I wanted to use some cooking wine that was especially good for seafood, I decided to just go with an alternative so that in case my mom will eat it, it’ll be completely safe and non-alcoholic. Also, I won’t do a step by step thing but will instead discuss how I sort of did it (i.e. a paragraph or two). On to the cooking!
I do love ratios and stuff but with this, I made my own proportions in a sense. I decided to steam the first half of my scallops (I want to try something different with the remaining half. Perhaps do a play on oriental flavors for the next batch). Steaming is actually a good and healthy cooking option. To start things off, I seasoned the scallops with some salt, pepper and garlic beforehand. I then infused the steaming with some fresh lemon grass and a lemon for some subtle zest. Quick note, cooking time for the scallops is about 8-10 minutes when you steam them.
Do take advantage of the natural “fresh-from-the-sea” flavor of the scallops (I wanted that particular flavor to be the focal/base flavor) and keep things simple. Use the remaining scallop juice/drippings from steaming and make a thick, rich gravy of sorts. On low heat, add some evoo and mix in a couple of cloves of garlic (chopped finely), stir for at least a minute. Add in the drippings and simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken. You may add some cooking wine at this point to deglaze the sauce but since I wanted this alcohol free (even if its just wine), there are wine alternatives that work as well (examples include white grape juice, water, etc.). Add some fresh herbs (think of herbs that would complement the taste that you are going for) and some fresh chives towards the end. Don’t forget to season with some salt and pepper. Plate your dish and acquaint with your tastebuds. 
This is quite a rich and savory dish that is really good (I loved how it turned out) and would also be perfect for Lent. Have fun in your kitchen and make some art of your own!
