Just Cook It: Meatless season
Lent is upon us.
For the next six weeks, Christians will be preparing for Easter through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial. Part of the self-denial, for us Catholics, is refraining from eating meat on Fridays.
Regardless of what religion you participate in, the Lenten season will undeniably affect you over the next six months. Restaurants everywhere will increase the number of fish specials they run on their menus. Many will even offer a special Lenten menu for the season.
Restaurants that specialize in seafood will be increasingly busy, specifically on Fridays. If you frequent one of these establishments, you should plan ahead by making reservations or arriving a bit earlier than normal as wait times will most likely be significantly longer.
During a lengthy period in my professional cooking career, I held the title of Roast Cook. I was responsible for preparing all of the steaks, lamb chops, prime rib, veal chops, pork chops, and any other meat that came from our kitchen.
Needless to say, it was usually the busiest job in the kitchen during service. Especially with almost every banquet (we would average four per evening but during the holidays may host 10-15 in a single evening) menu having a filet as one of the choices.
During this period in my career, Lent was actually my favorite time of the year. I could always count on a slower and more relaxing evening in front of my extremely hot grill, ovens and broilers. The Fish Cook, on the other hand, was let’s just say not as enthusiastic about Lent as myself.
My point is that during this time of year, seafood and other meatless dishes will be more prevalent than any other time of the year. Instead of fighting it, my advice is to embrace it. It’s not against the law to forgo meat in lieu of seafood, pasta or another option. You also don’t have to do it solely for religious reasons. Do it to try new things and broaden your culinary horizons.
Meatless dishes are such a broad topic that I could write a large book on the subject, so for the sake of time and space, I’d like to discuss one of my favorite seafood items and how you can make it at home like the pros.
One of my favorite seafood items is the scallop. I love scallops, and I particularly enjoy the larger sea scallops. Scallops should have a sweet flavor with a nice crust on the outside and practically melt in your mouth.
I prefer to pan roast my scallops, and if they are very large, I’ll sear them in a pan to achieve a nice crusty on the outside and then finish them in the oven so they are properly cooked.
That crusty outside is my favorite part of a pan roasted scallop, and a fancy technical term is used to describe why it gets that way. It is called the Maillard reaction.
The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned foods their desirable flavor. Seared steaks, pan-fried dumplings, breads, scallops, and many other foods get their delicious qualities from this reaction. It is named after French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard who first described the reaction in 1912.
Correctly achieving the Maillard reaction and cooking your scallops to the proper temperature, without over cooking them, is the key to that delicious, sweet, crusty, melt in your mouth bite.
The process as I describe it below is for you to understand the basics and most important points in cooking the perfect scallop. After mastering the technique, feel free to experiment with different seasonings, marinades, sauces, etc.
When pan roasting scallops, the first thing that you must do is dab the surface dry with a paper towel. Placing a moist scallop in hot oil will not only cause a lot of splashing (which is dangerous when it’s hot oil) but will also cause the scallop to stick to the bottom of the pan. You can use a non-stick pan for added insurance, but I don’t typically like to use non-stick pans when high heat cooking is required.
Next, you will want to heat your pan until it is almost smoking and add a nice layer of oil to the pan. Use a cooking oil that can handle high heat. I prefer to use sunflower oil that has been refined for high heat, but a mix of canola and regular olive oil will work as well.
Season your scallops with sea salt and a touch of ground white pepper and place them in the hot pan. Allow the scallops to cook in the pan until a nice golden brown crust forms and then flip them and repeat on the other side.
At this point small- to medium-sized scallops should be done, but larger scallops may need to be transferred to a baking sheet and finished in the oven. I like to finish mine by placing a small pat of softened butter on each scallop and allowing it to melt over them.
If you need to finish them in the oven, place the butter on the scallops before placing them into a 275 degree oven for 5 – 7 minutes. The scallops are done when the internal temperature reads 120 degrees on an instant read thermometer for rare or 145 degrees for medium.
You can also determine when they are done by feel. As soon as the scallops texture begins to slightly firm up, they are done. Be sure to pay close attention to your scallops as they cook. Overcooked scallops become tough and rubbery.
If you have any meatless suggestions or ideas that you would like me to write about in an upcoming column, drop me a line.
I hope you are as ready as I am to enjoy some great meatless options, at least on Fridays, this Lenten season. You know what they say, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!” and – Just Cook It!
Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author, and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. His website is www.JustCookIt.net. Twitter: @MarioPorreca