Seared Scallops with Old Bay Grits

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It’s that time of year here on Chincoteague. When a friend or neighbor will knock on your door, and present you with a Ziploc bag full of freshly caught scallops, soft shell crabs, drum fish, shrimp…whatever happens to be good on the docks or our little roadside seafood markets that day. It’s pretty much my favorite time of year on our little island, aside from Pony Penning…

So when my BFF stopped by last week with these gorgeous scallops, it made me feel one step closer to full-blown summer. I’d also happened to restock my supply of Geechie Boy grits last week too. While shrimp & grits is a regular on our menu this time of year, I thought – why not scallops instead?

Seasoned them simply with some of my homemade seasoning salt and pepper, gave them a quick sear. Happened to some fresh spinach on hand that needed to be used, so I sauteed that with a little bit of garlic and champagne vinegar – which did a great job of deglazing the pan and bringing all that awesome flavor into the dish. I think kale or chard would also be wonderful in place of the spinach!

The grits are a perfect accompaniment, because they kind of take care of themselves on the stove while you get the scallops squared away. Also, grits are so versatile when it comes to different flavors. I wanted something with a little bit of a coastal twist – so I stirred in some Old Bay right before serving. Life changing, ya’ll…

Served with a lovely local Rosé and a salad, it was the perfect way to break-in dinners on the back porch season for us! 

Seared Scallops with Old Bay Grits

1.5 lbs dry-packed scallops
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz fresh spinach
1/2 cup white wine (like Chardonnay)

For the grits:
1 cup stone-ground grits
2 1/2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Old Bay

Place the 2 cups of milk, water, and the grits into a 2-quart saucepan. Cover, and turn the heat to medium high. When mixture comes to a simmer add butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and reduce the heat to low. Stir every couple of minutes until the grits have become fragrant, and are the consistency of thick soup, for about 20 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup milk, stir, and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in Old Bay, and season to taste with additional salt. If your grits thicken too quickly, or if they are too gritty for your taste, add water by the half cup, stirring to incorporate, and continue cooking until tender. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the scallops. Dry scallops well with paper towel. Place on platter or baking sheet and season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add half of the butter and olive oil, coating the bottom of pan. Quickly (and carefully) add 10-12 scallops to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until nice and brown. Remove to another plate, and set aside. Repeat with remaining scallops, adding more butter and oil as necessary.

Once all scallops are cooked, reduce heat to medium-high and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, followed by the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and toss for about a minute until wilted. Remove to the same plate as the scallops.

Add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place a bed of grits on the plate using a ladle. Top with about 1/3 cup of the spinach, followed by the scallops, then drizzle with the wine reduction.

Tomato Salad w/ Red-Eye Vinaigrette

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Red-Eye Vinaigrette

I’d mentioned earlier this summer that I was helping out with the Chincoteague Bay Field Station’s Serving Up The Shore event this year. I created the salad course, which was a simple green salad topped with big hunks of heirloom tomatoes and crispy ham – with, get this…a red-eye vinaigrette. It was pretty amazing, and well received!

For me, the coolest part was getting to know so many of our local farmers and producers. The folks that are out there, fighting the good fight for sustainable and ethical farming and production procedures – right in my own backyard!Lettuces @ Terrapin Farms (Berlin, MD)Big shout out to Johnny at Terrapin Farms, who donated the gorgeous hydroponically grown greens. They’ve got an awesome operation at their farm in Berlin, MD. Was such a treat to visit and see everything in action!Perennial Roots FarmNatalie & Stewart at Perennial Roots Farm, for the absolutely perfect ham for the job (I’m sold on Mulefoot, ya’ll) and the epitome of summer in the form of those tomatoes. They’re a wonderful couple who are so passionate about sustainable and biodynamic agriculture, just a wealth of knowledge! We are so fortunate to have them here on the Shore. Be sure to follow them on Instagram too. Their feed is full of wonderful goodness from the farm, that makes me smile on a daily basis.Eastern Shore Coastal Roasting CompanyKristen & Jamie at Eastern Shore Coastal Roasting Company. You guys seriously rock my world. The Fogcutter was just  perfect for the vinaigrette. Loved having that bold coffee flavor shine through! Guys, their coffee is ahhhmazing…and, now available for purchase online. Go buy some!Assawoman Bay Brewing CompanyThe good people at Assawoman Bay Brewing Company, for keeping us in good beer all evening long. Keep on doing what you’re doing guys, looking forward to visiting the brewpub this fall.

And finally, to everyone who came out! It was such fun, and I’m already looking forward to seeing what next year will bring.

I wanted to incorporate as much local flare as I possibly could in my dish. Red-eye gravy is something that’s more common in the deep south, but it’s always been a favorite for me. It’s usually served in the form of a ham steak, that’s been browned in a skillet. Then, the pan deglazed with coffee. Served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – it’s a classic that’s stood the test of time.

I kept this same theme, but diced up the ham so it got super crispy. Think – meat croutons! Deglazed the pan with the coffee, then added in traditional things you’d find in salad dressing…red wine vinegar, dijon, olive oil. Paired with the simple fresh greens and big hunks of heirloom tomatoes, it translated so perfectly to a summer salad. But, I’m fixin’ to use the same dressing over a roasted vegetable salad this fall. The flavors would definitely mingle very well there, too. Will report back!

Tomato Salad with Red-Eye Vinaigrette

1 ham steak, diced (about 2 cups)
1 cup strongly brewed coffee
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
4 cups mixed greens
2-3 heirloom tomatoes, quartered

Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced ham, and cook until well browned and crispy. Making sure to stir every now and again, for about 15 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove ham to a paper towel lined plate to drain – reserving any drippings that have rendered.

Carefully add the coffee to the skillet, using a wooden spoon to scrape up anything sticking to the botoom of the pan. Increase heat to high and reduce the coffee by about half, about 3 minutes.

Turn off heat and whisk in the vinegar, mustard, 2 tsp kosher salt, and a few grinds black pepper. Carefully pour this mixture into a mason jar, and add the olive oil. Screw the lid on, and shake until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over bed of mixed greens with the chunks of tomato. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with the crispy ham bits.

Broccoli Slaw

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broccolislaw

Have you guys hopped on board the spiralizer bandwagon yet? I hadn’t, but have wanted to for quite some time. So when OXO reached out to me to give their new Countertop Spiralizer model a try, I was happy to oblige.

I opted for the the standard zucchini noodle to get my “feet wet”, and then quickly found myself spiralizing everything I could get my hands on. It’s so much fun to use! Couldn’t be any easier to clean or store, and has three different blades for a plethora of slicing needs. spiralizer

Like curly fries! I’m trying to think on the healthy side – but it’s hard to deny the fact that for me this is groundbreaking. Curly fries. Sprinkled with Old Bay. From the comfort of my own home. Ya heard?

Of all the things I passed through this little gadget last week, I think I had the most fun with broccoli stems. I always felt so bad tossing them in the trash on the regular, so believe me when I say it felt so good to make this delicious, crunchy, and tangy slaw with those big green stalks!

What a great way to stretch a buck, and good for you to boot! I mixed with some shredded green and red cabbage, as well as some shredded carrot for a little additional crunch and pop of color. Would be the perfect addition to any potluck party table.

Broccoli Slaw

2 large broccoli stems, spiralized or shredded
1 cup thinly shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, greek yogurt, vinegar, honey, and celery seed.

Add in broccoli, shredded cabbage, carrots, salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and season to taste.

Cover and refrigerate for and hour to let flavors meld before serving.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at OXO. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

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Cheddar Bay BiscuitsGrowing up on the Chesapeake Bay, and now residing on the Eastern Shore and living a stone’s throw from the ocean, I’ve been to Red Lobster twice in my entire life. Literally. I’ve never felt that I was missing out on very much, except for when it came to the basket of biscuits that they serve to the table beforehand.

Tender buttermilk biscuits, studded with plenty of sharp cheddar cheese and a heavy dose of garlic flavor. How can you resist? They’re super easy and quick too, like 20 minutes and you’ve got biscuits! The simple ingredient list is just mixed together in a bowl, then dropped in biscuit-sized portions to bake. No labor intensive cutting-in of butter and kneading that regular buttermilk biscuits require.

Once out of the oven they’re given a hearty brushing of melted garlic-parsley butter…to which I also added a hefty pinch of Old Bay. I loved the flavor the celery seed lent, as well as the slight hint of color from the paprika. Plus, you know how we roll on the Eastern Shore – we put Old Bay on pretty much everything we can around here.

I made these to go alongside a batch of Manhattan clam chowder I’d made over the weekend, and it was sheer perfection. I usually serve some kind of crusty bread when I make seafood-based soups – but those days are done. Only these biscuits will suffice from now on!

This recipe is one for the books, guys. I’ll definitely be making this one again and again!

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For the topping:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Old Bay (or other seafood seasoning)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder and salt in a large bowl.

Combine buttermilk and melted butter in large measuring cup, whisk to combine. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in cheese.

Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. With clean hands, slightly flatten the tops of the biscuits.

Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

For the topping, whisk together butter, parsley, garlic powder, and Old Bay in a small bowl. Working one at a time, brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter mixture.

Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Damn Delicious