Penobscot Bay Scallop Stew Food

CHEF JOHN'S BAY SCALLOP CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until fat renders and bacon is slightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion to bacon; cook and stir until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir celery and garlic into onion mixture, cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
• Pour clam juice, chicken broth, potato, cayenne pepper, and black pepper into bacon mixture; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low, and cook until potatoes are almost tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir cream and chile pepper into potato mixture; bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are completely tender and chowder flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Season with lemon zest and salt.
• Stir scallops into chowder and cook over medium heat until scallops are tender and white, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in tarragon.

BAY SCALLOPS SCAMPI

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil and half of the butter over medium-high heat until mixture starts to brown.
• MAKE SURE THE PAN AND OIL MIXTURE IS VERY HOT - Transfer half of the scallops to the skillet and cook WITHOUT MOVING until seared: ABOUT 20 - 30 SECONDS. Gently flip and sear on other side for another 20 - 30 SECONDS. Remove from skillet; add remaining scallops and butter. Cook in the same manner as the first batch.
• Once the second batch of scallops is finished cooking, return the first batch to the skillet and give a quick, gentle toss. Remove skillet from heat.
• Add the garlic, lemon juice, wine and cappers. Season with salt and pepper. Give a gentle toss and place scallops on a warmed serving platter. Garnish with parsley and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
• Serve with crusty Italian or French bread for dipping in the garlic-butter sauce. This dish pairs nicely with steamed fresh asparagus or zucchini.
• COOK'S TIP: Scallops contain a lot of water that will gush out once they get hot - THEY NEED A LOT OF HEAT APPLIED QUICKLY. Never crowd the scallops when cooking, otherwise they will steam instead of sear.

SCALLOP & FISH STEW

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Stir briefly, then let cook 2 minutes.
• Add scallops and fish and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, clam juice, and bell pepper. Stir well; bring to a boil and cover. Simmer 10 minutes, till all seafood is thoroughly cooked.
• Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and parsley.
• Serve in shallow bowls; sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

PENOBSCOT BAY SCALLOP STEW

Steps:

• Combine cream, clam juice, onion, celery top, parsley, salt and bay leaf in a large saucepan and heat over medium-low heat just until bubbles form around the edges; remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes to infuse cream with the seasoning vegetables. Strain out the vegetables and discard, returning the flavored cream to the saucepan. Add chopped celery to the cream mixture and simmer, covered, over low heat until it softens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove side hinges from the scallops and if scallops are large, cut them in halves or quarters. Add scallops, chives, tarragon, marjoram, and cayenne to the cream mixture. Simmer gently, uncovered, until scallops are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add butter, stirring until it melts. Season with freshly ground pepper and additional salt to taste. Let sit at cool room temperature for at least an hour, or refrigerate overnight. Reheat the stew very gently, ladle into shallow soup bowls, and serve.