The First Meal

We finally arrived at our new home in Clearwater on Sept. 1st. It took me several days to unpack boxes and get my new kitchen in order. It's a crappy small kitchen but I'll be remodeling it soon. At least it's better than the kitchen in our last apartment. LOL

Last night I decided to cook our first meal in my kitchen. We are sick of poorly prepared restaurant food that we've been eating since we started our move. It's been 2 weeks since I've cooked anything. I shopped at Fresh Market, very nice gourmet grocery store. Not very big but the seafood and meats there are very good. However, I'll still be looking for other gourmet grocery items in the Clearwater area that I was unable to find at Fresh Market. We were both in the mood for seafood so I decided on the Sea Scallops. Here is my recipe for Seared Sea Scallops with Tarragon. I served this with some simple sauteed asparagus and a baby greens salad topped with a bit of blue cheese.

Seared Sea Scallops with Tarragon

Serves 2

3/4 pound Sea Scallops

2 tablespoons EVOO

1-2 tablespoons Penzey's Florida Seasoned Pepper (or use the Seafood Seasoning Blend of your choice)

1/4 cup white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

zest of 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon cold butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon

sea salt to taste

Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with Florida Seasoned Pepper and sea salt. Heat EVOO in a saute pan over med-high heat. Add the scallops to the pan but do not crowd the pan. Saute the scallops until browned and on both sides and cooked just until done. About 2-2 1/2 minutes on each side. Do not overcook the scallops or they will be tough. They should feel firm but bounce back when touched. Remove the scallops and keep warm.

Return skillet to stove and add the white wine, bring to a boil. Deglaze by scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, boiling until liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Reduce heat to low and whisk in the cold butter and lemon zest. Then whisk in the heavy cream and tarragon. Taste and adjust the seasoning with seasalt and fresh cracked pepper and reduce slightly. Plate scallops and top with sauce. Garnish with additional lemon zest before serving.