What We Eat When We Eat Alone - Deborah Madison [79]
6 LARGE SEA SCALLOPS
SALT AND PEPPER
2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER, IN ALL
1 FAT SCALLION, THE WHITE PART WITH A LITTLE GREEN, FINELY CHOPPED
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY OR CHERVIL
GRATED ZEST OF 1 (MEYER) LEMON, PLUS JUICE
SPLASH OF WHITE WINE
1. If the asparagus is thick, peel the stalks. Don’t bother doing that with thin asparagus. Slice them diagonally up to the tips. (If you’re doing this well in advance, put the asparagus in a bowl, cover with a damp towel, and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.) Peel off the opaque muscle of the scallops, if any is evident, and discard.
2. When ready to cook, put up to 8 cups of water to boil for the asparagus. Add salt, then the asparagus and boil until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain them just before they’re ready as they’ll continue cooking in their heat, then return them to the pan and toss with a little of the butter and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. Simultaneously, melt a tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. When the foam subsides, add the scallops. Cook over medium-high heat until golden on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then turn and cook the second side. When done, have one of you divide the asparagus between two warm plates, then nestle the scallops on top.
4. Add the remaining butter, scallion, herbs, and lemon zest to the pan, allow the butter to melt and foam, then add the splash of wine and a squeeze of lemon and let it all sputter and boil. After about 30 seconds, turn off the heat, add a little pepper, and spoon the sauce over the scallops and asparagus. Serve with crusty bread to capture the juices.
Winter Squash Risotto with Parsley and Sage
For two, with some left over
This risotto doesn’t use cooked squash, as many recipes do, but asks you, or two of you, to take the solid, thick end of a small butternut squash and cut it into fine little cubes. It’s a little more involved, which is great if you’re cooking together, and yields a pretty risotto with small, melting bits of squash among the grains of rice. Risotto is very filling, however, so plan on eating just a little followed by a salad. Any that’s left over can be reheated later or turned into risotto cakes.
1 SMALL BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ABOUT 1 POUND
5 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH, VEGETABLE STOCK, OR WATER
1 TABLESPOON EACH BUTTER AND OLIVE OIL
1⁄2 SMALL ONION, FINELY DICED
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH SAGE LEAVES
2 TEASPOONS CHOPPED PARSLEY LEAVES
SALT
1 CUP ARBORIO RICE
1⁄4 CUP WHITE WINE
CHUNK OF PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CHEESE, FINELY GRATED TO MAKE 2⁄3 CUP
1. Cut off the solid stem end of the squash, then peel it. Cut into slabs, then strips, then crosswise to make small cubes. A cup is plenty. The rest of the squash can be cooked another time. Bring the broth to a simmer and keep it over low heat on the stove.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a wide soup pot. Add the onion and the squash, give them a stir, and then add half the herbs and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, then add the rice and stir once again and cook until it begins to look translucent, about 3 minutes. Pour in the wine.
3. When the rice has absorbed the wine, add 11⁄2 cups of the heated stock and simmer gently, while stirring, until it has been absorbed. Then begin adding the rest of the liquid, a half-cup or so at a time, until all has been absorbed and both the squash and the rice are cooked. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
4. Stir in most of the cheese and the remaining fresh herbs, then serve the risotto in warm bowls and scatter the remaining cheese over the top.
Butternut Squash for One, Two Ways (or what to do with the leftover squash)
Take the round end of the squash that’s left over from your risotto, slice it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Steam it over simmering water until it’s very soft when you press it with your fingers, about 25 minutes. Put the squash on a plate, put some olive oil or butter in its cavity, and season with salt and pepper.
Or, scoop the cooked