Spice (15 page)

4.
In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 teaspoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil until the butter starts to brown. Add 8 of the scallops and brown one side only, for 6 to 7 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if the scallops seem to brown too quickly or start to burn. The edges will turn from translucent to opaque, but the center on the top will remain a little translucent. Lift the scallops to check that they are brown with a golden crust and flip them over to cook the rare spot for 30 seconds.

5.
Immediately remove the scallops from the heat and place them onto a platter. Dollop the scallops with 2 tablespoons of the orange-saffron butter and keep them warm by covering them with foil or by putting them into a small serving dish with a lid. The butter will melt from the heat of the scallops.

6.
Wipe the sauté pan clean and repeat the searing process until all the scallops are cooked. It may be tempting to sear all the scallops at once, but the more crowded the pan is, the less likely you are to get a golden crust. Too many scallops cools the pan down, and they will start to steam instead of sear. If you have a very large pan, you can try to fit more scallops in at once, but leave about 1 inch between each. It’s tempting to move the scallops around once they are in the pan, but don’t do it. Allow them to attain a perfect sear.

7.
Add 2 more tablespoons of orange-saffron butter to the scallops and stir to coat them.

8.
Divide them evenly onto 8 plates and serve immediately with Rice Cakes (page 65) and Seared Greens (page 53).

A Rule of Thumb for Searing
When browning, it is essential to sear your ingredients in a hot pan. To make sure your pan is hot enough, use 3 parts vegetable oil (do not use extra-virgin olive oil; it breaks down easily because it has a low temperature threshold) to 1 part butter. Add the oil and butter to the pan, and when the butter starts to brown, the pan will be hot enough to get a good, golden-brown searing color. Oil prevents the butter solids from burning, and the butter solids help to brown your ingredients. You’re guaranteed a richer and more even color this way
.

Use Dry Scallops

Ask your fishmonger for dry scallops. A good fish market will carry only this kind. Sometimes lesser markets will sell sea scallops injected with water or saline to plump them up, making them more expensive per pound. These scallops won’t brown well, as the water will release during cooking and cause the scallops to steam. Also, avoid using milky-looking scallops. During spring months, scallops start to spawn; it is during this time that they sometimes produce a cloudy liquid that makes them difficult to brown. I prefer not to wash scallops; however, if they are sandy, you must. Dry them well before cooking
.

Rice Cakes

I love the sticky crust of a baked pilaf. I got frustrated that when I made pilaf in a big pot, there was never enough sticky crust to go around, so I came up with this recipe. By making individual rice cakes, everyone gets just the right amount of crust.

Yogurt and egg bind the rice in these little cakes. I sear them on the bottom side only so that they get golden and crispy, but the top stays soft.

M
AKES
10
TO
12
MEDIUM RICE CAKES TO SERVE
5
TO
12

2 cups long-grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati

1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

3 eggs

½ cup whole-milk plain yogurt, preferably Greek style

1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon butter

1.
Soak the rice for 20 minutes in warm water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt to remove some of the starch.

2.
Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat.

3.
Drain the rice and sprinkle it into the boiling water, little by little. Stir well.

4.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the rice, stirring from time to time, for 6 minutes, until tender.

5.
Drain the rice and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes.

6.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

7.
Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt until smooth and combined. Stir in the rice and season with salt to taste.

8.
Heat a medium nonstick, ovenproof sauté pan over high heat, and add the oil and butter. When the butter browns, drop in four to six ½-cup scoops of rice and cook over medium heat until the bottoms brown, about 6 minutes. Repeat the process until all the rice cakes are cooked.

9.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. The bottoms of the rice cakes should have a beautiful crust and the tops should be soft. Serve immediately, with the crust side up, side by side with the Seared Sea Scallops (page 62).

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Vanilla-Glazed Carrots

These short ribs are a signature dish at Oleana. I created this recipe at Casablanca, the restaurant in Harvard Square where I cooked for five years before opening my own. I loved the ribs so much that I brought the recipe with me to Oleana The ribs are like a decadent pot roast: they’re soft, sweet, and tart from the tamarind, a Middle Eastern and Asian fruit that brightens a slowly braised dish.

With this dish, try a Carmenère from Chile, which is a sweet/savory wine with dark fruit, spicy flavors, and round tannins.

S
ERVES
8

8 beef short ribs, weighing about 6 to 8 pounds