peas

Savory Pies- Scallop Pot Pie

10 Nov 2011
scallop pot pie

Pie oh my! I have made it to the end of savory pie week. This Scallop Pot Pie is number seven and she's (he's??) a beaut!

What (I can hear you asking) have I learned about pie this week? Well, I learned seven days of pie leads to an expanded waistline. I also learned that I'd rather have pie than a skinny butt.

And I got a little closer to discovering the secret allure of pie. But it's not its flaky, buttery crust (or at least not completely) that keeps people's pie plates poised for the next bite. There is something else about pie that I had not really considered when I started the week long marathon.

It may seem counter-intuitive, partly because I am food blogger and I spend a lot of time cooking and trying to convince you that you should cook too. So maybe what I am about to say won't make a lot of sense.

But if I start with the phrase pot pie. Maybe you'll pay attention long enough that I can make my point.

Sometimes the less effort you invest in cooking the better.  Savory pies are often nothing more than one-pan wonders. Pot pie is especially comforting as a meal all unto itself.

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Scallop Pot Pie

Scallop Pot Pie
By jgreghenry Published October 25, 2011
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 3 c all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 t kosher salt
  • 8 oz (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 0.25 c ice water
  • 1 large onion, halved and sliced into slivers
  • 1 fennel bulb, cored, halved and sliced thinly
  • 4 oz unsalted butter
  • 2.5 c fish stock or clam juice
  • 1 T pernod
  • 1 T sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 pn freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 3 T heavy cream
  • 1 lb bay scallops
  • 2 c frozen peas
  • 0.5 c flat leaf parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped

Directions

Make the crust: Pulse 2 1/2 cups flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until dough just comes together (no longer than 30 seconds). Divide dough in half, shape each into a disc, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days), or freeze for up to 1 month.

Make the filling: Saute the onions and fennel with the butter in a large saute pan on medium heat until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour and cook on low heat for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, sea salt, and pepper and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the heavy cream. Place the bay scallops, frozen peas, and parsley in a bowl. Pour the sauce over the mixture and check the seasonings. Set aside. Assemble the pie: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll each the chilled dough disc to fit a 9 or 9 1/2-inch round by 2-inch high ovenproof pie plate or baking dish. Place 1 crust in the dish, fill with the scallop mixture, and top with the second crust. Crimp the crusts together and brush with the egg wash. Make a few vents in the top crust and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Grilled Scallops and Fettuccine with English Pea Butter Sauce

Grilled Scallops and Fettuccine with English Pea Butter Sauce
By jgreghenry Published May 17, 2011
Prep time: 45
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 c shelled fresh, small english peas
  • 0 salt, as needed
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1 c white wine
  • 1 c plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2 T mint leaves, minced
  • 0.5 lb fettuccine
  • 12 sea scallops, tough muscles removed
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 0 black pepper, to taste
  • 1 t fresh thyme leaves, minced

Directions

Prepare an ice bath. Put the peas into a medium sauce pan and cover with cool water. Add about 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Cook until tender but still bright green, about 6 minutes. Drain the peas and plunge them into the ice bath to stop cooking. Strain. Puree the peas using a food mill or food processor, you may need to add a teaspoon or water or so. You want a consistency that is neither pasty nor watery. Set aside. Combine the shallots and wine in a medium non-reactive sauce pan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Lower the heat and gradually whisk in 1-cup of the butter, one or two pieces at a time. When the butter has been incorporated, remove the sauce from the heat. Strain the butter sauce and discard the solids. Return the sauce to the saucepan. Scrape the pea puree into the saucepan with the butter sauce and add half of the minced mint, stirring until fully incorporated. Cover and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook according to package instructions until al dente. While the pasta cooks grill the scallops. Heat the grill or grill pan to medium-high. Toss the scallops with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl until they are well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Lay the scallops on the grates of the grill or grill pan. They should sizzle. Do not crowd the scallops, work in batches if necessary. Grill them on one side until the scallops develop golden brown grill marks, about 1 to 2 minutes. Then turn them once and continue cooking another minute or so longer. They just be barely cooked through and rare. Remove from grill and allow them to rest while you finish the pasta. Drain the pasta and quickly move it to a large bowl. Allow a small amount of the cooking water to come along. Add the minced thyme, remaining mint and remaining butter. Toss well. To serve gently warm the peas sauce over low heat and then spoon a small amount of onto 6 warmed plates or shallow bowls. Swirl some of the pasta into a compact shape and place it next to the sauce. Top with 2 scallops per plate and serve.

Notes:

serves 6

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Peas and Herbs

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Peas and Herbs
By jgreghenry Published January 25, 2011
Prep time: 60
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1 spaghetti squash (about 4 lbs) halved lengthwise
  • 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 T light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 0 salt and pepper, as needed
  • 0.5 c parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus more for garnish
  • 0.5 c flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 0.5 c cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 c frozen peas, thawed or fresh peas blanched
  • 0.25 c blanched hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush cut sides and cavities of squash with oil, and sprinkle with brown sugar, salt and pepper. Place squash, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast until tender, about 50 minutes. Let cool slightly on the sheet set on a wire rack. Use a fork to scrape the flesh into long strands. Place in a large bowl. Add oil, Parmesan, parsley, cilantro, peas and hazelnuts. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, and a good grinding of black pepper to taste. Toss and serve immediately with more cheese as garnish.

Notes:

serves 4 Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Default Pasta alla Carbonara

27 Oct 2010
Pasta alla Carbonara ingredients

Default pasta, we all rely on it. Even Judy Rogers of Zuni Cafe.

Hers seems to be a particularly well-construcred Pasta alla Carbonara. It's not quite the traditional version– at least in my mind, because it has peas, ricotta and good ole American bacon in place of guanciale. But its authenticty and simple perfection cannot be denied. Judy put her version together based on a memory of a meal she had in Rome, hence the authenticity. And once you see the list of ingredients, and the careful way it is prepared– using a low, slow heat to render the flavorful fat from the bacon and into the sauce. I know you'll agree with the notion of its perfection. So see, even classic Roman meals can be tweeked to become what I affectionately call Default Pasta here at Sippity Sup.

So what exactly is Default Pasta? Well, as the saying goes– "Quick boil some water!" No I'm not having a baby? It's Default Pasta Night!

At my house Default Pasta makes regular appearances. In fact I'd even go so far as to call these appearances star turns. That's because learning how to bring forth quick, flavorful weeknight meals can be a lifesaver, and a Tuesday toe-tapper as you will see.

Because there are a lot of good reasons to master the concept of Default Pasta. Maybe you have not been to the grocery store for weeks and the fridge and pantry are pretty bare. Maybe you just want something simple and satisfying without too much thought or preparation. But never fear, because if you follow my rules for Default Pasta you can make any meal special.

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