It had been a busy week. My sister was out for a visit, and Rich was down and out with a stomach bug, and the gas gauge on the car decided to stop working (if I may suggest – do not run out of gas on a freeway bridge). Now, it was time to think about Easter brunch, and I had totally forgotten to check at my go-to place for smoked salmon while out and about with my sister.
Hmmm, Cap’n Porky’s Smokehouse, just down the street, smokes salmon, so I decided to see what they had to offer.
Not only did the nice Captain have some pretty darned fantastic smoked salmon – I now have a new go-to place – he also had on hand a lovely fresh batch o’ Maine scallops; one of my favorite mollusks, and one that I am wicked fussy about buying from just anywhere. I had to try them.
SO. Smoked salmon in hand for my roasted asparagus eggs Benny Easter brunch, what to do with these scallops?
Well, all thanks to da Google and the nice folk at BigOven.com, I found a recipe that would (with a few small changes) make for a nice dinner for a recovering Rich and me while I was putting the finishing touches on the Easter brunch.
INGREDIENTS
•1 tsp olive oil
•2 tbsp minced garlic
•1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
•1/2 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
•1/2 lb scallops
•1/2 tsp paprika – I used sweet
•4 tbsp red wine – I used a sweet one
•1 tsp fresh lemon juice
•Salt and pepper
•Fresh parsley, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic and pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic is nicely browned.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp, scallops, and paprika.
Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the red wine and cook for another minute or two, just until the shrimp and scallops are done and nicely opaque/pink – these were large scallops and small shrimp, so my cooking times may be different from yours.
Remove the scallops and shrimp to a plate and keep warm, then add the lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper to the pan and warm through.
Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings, or return the scallops and shrimp to the pan, toss in the sauce and serve.
We had ours over fettuccine with a bit of the asparagus I had roasted for our brunch casserole on the side; but you could have these lovelies over rice, or even mashed potatoes – just mebbe double up on your sauce and let it thicken a bit first.
Oh, and that sweet red wine? It was a bottle my sister had brought from Maryland that I thought nice, but a bit too sweet and syrup-y to drink; so I popped it into an ice cube tray in the freezer, and a couple of wine cubes worked a treat for this dinner.
I love it when a plan comes together.