Scallops for 2, a Perfect Anniversary Dinner

Scallops are an excellent choice in the seafood world. JeanMarie Brownson/TNS

Our coastal travels this year had us enjoying tons of seafood—especially bivalves. Clams in Portugal, oysters in Maine, mussels in southern France, and scallops everywhere they were on the menu. In Paris and Santiago de Compostela, Spain, they serve them on the shell with a simple vinaigrette and herby garnish as a starter.

Memories of those beautiful seafood dishes inspire this year’s anniversary dinner. Fortunately, when cooking for two, the smaller purchase makes the cost of seafood feel less painful. When menu planning, think about sides and imaginative touches to make the plate restaurant beautiful.

Creamy, mashed cauliflower will line the dinner plate for this special meal. Then a half-dozen sea scallops, sautéed in butter with herbs, rest nicely on top. Roasted tricolor carrots add vibrancy to the plate, as do pickled red onions.

Scallops are an excellent choice in the seafood world. Because it’s done worldwide, using off-bottom culture methods (that is, they are grown without touching the ocean floor), scallop farming is considered by the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch to be a sustainable practice. Same for farmed oysters and other bivalves. Environmentally friendly wild-caught options also are available. The scallops sold in the freezer case at Whole Foods, for example, are wild-caught from U.S. waters.

For more information on responsible seafood purchases and consumption, check out SeafoodWatch.org.

Always thaw seafood slowly in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Sea scallops take several hours and can be thawed overnight. Although some fish counters sell “thawed for your convenience” seafood, I prefer to be in control of the thawing and the timing at my own home.

Fresh oysters and a glass of sparkling wine as a starter prove an enduring indulgence. Oysters should be purchased from a reliable seafood vendor no more than a day in advance. At home, keep them super-chilled on a bed of ice in the refrigerator. Open carefully just before serving. Set out lemon wedges and a horseradish-spiked cocktail sauce to dollop on the oysters. Lettuce for salad can be rinsed and chilled up to a day in advance.

To keep dinner less stressful, make the red onions and cauliflower mash up to several days in advance. Make the roasted carrots up to several hours ahead. Reheat the cauliflower and the carrots while you are cooking the scallops.

Warm the serving plates in a low oven. This simple restaurant trick serves us well when food is as fragile as scallops or other delicate fish.

Dinner for 2 Menu

• Oysters on the half shell with lemon and cocktail sauce
• French bread
• Bibb lettuce salad with fresh lemon and olive oil
• Sautéed scallops with brown butter and herbs
• Cauliflower mash with pickled red onions
• Roasted tricolor carrots with tarragon
• Champagne or sparkling wine
• Chocolate truffles

Sautéed Scallops With Brown Butter and Herbs

Thaw frozen scallops in a shallow dish in the refrigerator overnight. Pat dry before using.

Makes 2 servings

• Cauliflower mash with pickled red onions (recipes follow)
• 12 wild-caught sea scallops, about 1 pound total
• Salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
• 1/4 cup very thinly sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 tablespoon very finely shredded orange or lemon rind
• Fresh sage leaves

Make cauliflower mash and pickled red onions.

Heat oven to 180 F and put two ovenproof serving plates in the oven to warm through. Pat scallops dry. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. Set near the cooking area along with the remaining ingredients.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles on contact, add the oil, then the butter. As soon as the butter is melted, add scallops in a single, uncrowded layer. Cook, without turning and adjusting the heat as needed, until the bottom of the scallops are golden brown, 2 minutes. Use tongs to flip the scallops over; cook to brown the other side, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove to a plate; cover loosely to keep warm.

Add wine and green onions to the pan. Boil to reduce liquid by half while scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and swirl in cilantro, sage, and orange rind.

Spoon some of the cauliflower mash onto each warm serving plate. Top with a portion of the scallops. Then spoon some of the pan juices over all. Garnish with pickled red onions and fresh sage leaves. Serve.

Cauliflower Mash With Pickled Red Onion

Makes 2 servings

• 4 cups small cauliflower florets, about 12 ounces (1/2 head)
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Pickled red onions, for serving

Heat a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Add cauliflower florets and garlic. Boil until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and return florets and garlic to the pan.

Set pan over very low heat. Add butter and cream. Use an immersion blender to turn the mixture into a smooth, medium-thick mash. (Alternatively, transfer mixture to a blender or a food processor and process to mash; then rewarm in the pan.) Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Serve warm, topped with pickled red onions.

Pickled Red Onions With Orange

Makes about 1/2 cup

• 1 medium-size red onion, halved, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 strips orange rind (removed with a peeler)

Heat a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add sliced onion; cook 30 seconds. Drain well. Place in a bowl. Add vinegar and salt; toss to mix. Add orange rind. Let cool. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Roasted Tricolor Carrots With Tarragon

Makes 2 servings

• 1 package (12 to 16 ounces) multi-colored carrots
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and dried basil

Heat oven to 400 F. Trim and peel carrots. Cut carrots lengthwise in half. Cut into 3-inch lengths.

Mix carrots, oil, tarragon, salt, and basil on a rimmed baking sheet to coat them well. Roast, stirring once or twice, until fork-tender and golden, about 20 minutes.

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