Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [19]
3 ounces sea scallops (about 3 large scallops), sliced into ¼-inch disks
6 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage (see Notes)
1 medium orange
1 small Hass avocado (see Notes)
1 small head Romaine lettuce (about 8 ounces), cored and shredded (about 3 packed cups)
1. To make the dressing, mix the shallot, vinegar, lime juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking all the while; continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Stir in the Tabasco sauce, then set aside.
2. Prepare a small bowl of ice water and set it aside. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and scallops to the simmering water and poach for about 2 minutes, just until the shrimp are firm and pink. Drain, then place the shellfish in the ice water. Let stand for 2 minutes, then drain and place the cooked shellfish in a serving bowl. Stir in the crabmeat.
3. Cut ¼ inch off the top and bottom of the orange, so that it will sit flat. Stand it on a cutting board, then cut down the sides of the fruit with a paring knife, following the fruit’s natural curve, removing the rind and the white pith underneath. (You may also cut off a small amount of the flesh.) Hold the fruit in one hand over a small bowl. Use a paring knife to cut between the membranes, letting the orange supremes and any juice fall into the bowl. Take care not to squeeze the orange, thereby juicing it and rendering the supremes dry. Discard any remaining pith and add the supremes and any juice to the serving bowl with the seafood.
4. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, then peel each half. A large serving spoon can easily scoop half an avocado out of its peel. Cut the avocado into ½-inch pieces; add them to the seafood salad.
5. Whisk the dressing once again to incorporate any oil that has fallen out of suspension. Pour the dressing over the seafood salad. Add the shredded lettuce and toss gently using tongs or two large spoons. Serve immediately.
NOTES: Cooked lump crabmeat is often available fresh in your fishmonger’s refrigerated case. It also comes in cans, but the taste can be quite fishy. The fresh variety is preferable for this salad—but check the expiration date and buy the freshest you can find.
To pick the crabmeat over for shells and cartilage, spread it out on a plate without breaking it up too much—you’ll be able to see any fragments still in the meat. You can also run your fingers lightly across the meat, but be careful: you can get pierced.
Choose an avocado that is dark-skinned but still firm—that is, slightly underripe. Too ripe, and the avocado will become mushy in the salad.
TABBOULEH with SHRIMP, FETA, and DILL makes 2 servings
Traditionally, tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur wheat, mint, and fresh tomatoes. Here’s a version shifted a little to Greece, with feta, dill, shrimp, and sundried tomatoes.
½ cup bulgur wheat
½ cup boiling water
pound medium shrimp (about 10 shrimp at 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
½ cup crumbled feta (about 2 ounces)
¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes (see Note)
1 small scallion, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh dill, or 2 tablespoons dried dill
¼ cup packed chopped fresh parsley, or 1½ tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the bulgur in a small bowl; stir in the boiling water. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the bulgur is tender.
2. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, just until pink and firm. Drain and cool the shrimp, then roughly chop them and place them in a medium serving bowl.
3. Fluff the bulgur with a fork, then add it to the shrimp. Stir in the feta, sundried tomatoes, scallion, dill, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss gently, then serve.
NOTE: The sundried tomatoes