Summer is a hard act to follow. Even a summer as unseasonably cool and wet as this last one has left us with memories of a rather glorious September, delicious sweet corn, succulent scarlet tomatoes, bright, ruffled lettuces and all the peppers, peaches, berries, and beans that have filled our plates in the company of bluefish, lobsters, mussels and clams.
Some of these treasures still linger for our pleasure and we can also enjoy tender new potatoes. However, when the squashes and pumpkins and the early cauliflowers that are picked before the first frost begin to appear along the roadside, autumn has definitely made its debut. It does not quite promise the same delight as the summer’s bounty. Squash and cabbage do not require the same immediate freshness. They are to be the winter staples and they are meant to stand the storing.
Fortunately, autumn does bring the scallop season. It officially began last week. The pale, tender morsels fetched from the dark, ruggedly fluted shells are as rich and delectable as ever. The going price at the fish markets is about $5 a pound. You will pay less than that — $8.25 a quart (about two pounds) at the scallop houses in Amagansett.
You can eat scallops raw with just a grinding of black pepper and a squirt of lemon, you can marinate them raw in lime juice to serve cold, or lightly poach and chill them dressed in mayonnaise or vinaigrette for a salad. Broiling, sautéeing, frying and baking all work well, providing you do not overcook the scallops and season them lightly so their delicate flavor comes through. Five minutes or so is all they require.
Scallops in White Wine
1 1/2 lbs. bay scallops
1/2 tablespoon flour
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter
1 clove garlic, sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
Pick over the scallops, pat them dry on paper towel and lightly toss with the flour. Heat the butter in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat until it begins to brown, then remove the garlic. Make sure the butter does not burn.
Add the scallops to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, tossing them around, until they have begun to turn golden and are just about cooked through, about five minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt, toss quickly and transfer the scallops to a warm platter.
Add the wine to the skillet and cook over high heat for about a minute, until the sauce is reduced and has a consistency slightly thicker than heavy cream. Pour over the scallops, dust with pepper and parsley and serve. Serves four.
Pasta Peconica
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 pound bay scallops
2 tsp. flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped (should yield 1/2 cup tomato pulp)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
1/2 lb. fettucine, linguine or small shell macaroni, boiled in salted water and drained
Combine one tablespoon of the butter and the wine in a non-aluminum saucepan. Simmer gently until the butter has melted and then add the lemon juice and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for five to seven minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through. Drain mushrooms and reserve both the mushrooms and the cooking liquid.
At this point in the preparation, a kettle of salted water should be boiling for the pasta and the pasta may be added to it for cooking.
To continue with the sauce, heat the oil and remaining butter in a skillet and add the garlic. Saute over medium heat. When the garlic begins to brown, remove it. Dust the scallops with flour and add them to the skillet. Cook briefly, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan until the scallops are just beginning to firm up and color, about a minute or so.
Sprinkle with salt, add the mushrooms and the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the reserved mushroom liquid and stir again. Add the cream, mix well and simmer for about five minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened somewhat and begins to take on a rosy color and the scallops are cooked through. Dust with pepper and parsley.
Drain pasta and serve at once with the sauce. Serves two as an entree, three to four as a first course.
