VittlesVamp

My Scallop Crudo

There are recipes I return to time and time again when I am hosting one of my many multi-course dinner parties. Scallop Crudo is definitely high on my list of go-to's - and with good reason. It is incredibly easy to make and it's always a crowd pleaser.

There are caveats though: Buy the freshest scallops you can find and don't cheap out on the olive oil. Great olive oil isn't optional here. It is a must. If you don't enjoy tasting a spoonful of the stuff that you have in your pantry, you need to up your olive oil game before attempting this dish. Trust me. Totally worth it!

Scallop Crudo
(Serves 6 as a first course)

1 lb fresh sea scallops
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup exceptionally good olive oil
3/4 tsp Maldon sea salt
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Fresh chives

Slice raw scallops into two or three thin coins each. Place them on a big platter or individual plates. Squeeze a little lemon juice over and then drizzle olive oil. Sprinkle the crunchy sea salt granules and the nuts on top. Snip a few bits of fresh chive over it all to finish it off.

Rice Scares The Heck Out Of Me

I can make homemade Ricotta Sorbet. I can sous vide Shrimp Cocktail. I can stir up a mean Martini. But rice. It scares the heck out of me. (My stash of Jasmine Rice is pictured above. A frightening sight!)

Seriously.

I have burned more pots of rice than I care to count. Let's not forget the pots of still crunchy, never cooked-through rice. And, then there are the pots of soupy unGodly rice porridge that I brought into the world.

A sad state of affairs.

Then I finally bought a rice cooker. This device was a miracle. Jasmine rice turned out perfectly every time!

Then I was stupid. i decided I wanted to make basmati rice. This is not ideal for a rice cooker. What was I thinking?!? I went down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos about making basmati rice. It was painful. There are so many different techniques. I finally settled on one though. In addition, I decided to take a recipe and tweak it to my taste. And, what happened? A delicious basmati pilaf was born!

Basmati Pilaf with Caramelized Onion, Cherries & Pistachios
(Serves 6 - 8)

2 cups of basmati rice
2 TBSP canola oil
3 yellow onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup dried cherries (reconstituted with hot water and drained)
1/3 cup shelled pistachios (toasted and chopped)
Zest from 1 orange
2 TBSP Kosher salt

Soak basmati rice 3 - 4 times in cool water, swishing around and draining to remove excess starch. Then soak rice for 30 - 45 minutes before draining. Put drained rice in a big pot and add 1 TBSP of canola oil. Put over moderate heat and saute for 3 minutes, making sure all grains are coated. Add 3 cups of boiling water and 1 TBSP Kosher salt. Bring to a rolling boil and then lower the stove temperature to a simmer and place a lid on top, leaving it alone for 10 minutes. Take pot off of the heat for 10 minutes and then fluff rice with a fork.

In a separate pot or Dutch oven, melt butter with 1 TBSP canola oil. Add onions and 1 TBSP Kosher salt. Saute until brown and caramelized, about 45 minutes.

Add rice into caramelized onions and mix with a fork. Add cherries, pistachios, and orange zest. Mix further and gently heat through on stove top before serving.