Seared Scallops with Minty Peas and Crispy Prosciutto
And, much more.
💫💫💫💫 If you like this post, can you kindly hit the ❤️ at the bottom? It sure does help spread the word! 💫💫💫💫
Deepest thanks to everyone who reached out to me on this platform, by text, by email, by phone (!) in response to last week’s newsletter. It was overwhelmingly lovely. If I haven’t gotten back to you yet, I promise I will. It’s comforting to know the newsletter resonated with you; we all deserve to feel seen and I do think there is a sense of warmth and communal fortification when we recognize our lives reflected in others.
Onward.
I’m very pleased to let you know that my new column, which I co-write with my friend, will return next Friday! As a reminder, we align on four ingredients and create two unique recipes without telling each other until the day before. We then share them with you on our respective newsletters. Make sure to sign up for Side Dish to get both!
Next up is cod, white beans, preserved lemon and leeks. If you have ingredients you want us to play around with for future, please drop them in the comments.
Easter is this Sunday and regardless if people come over or not, I know I will cook something to mark the occasion, I’m just not sure what it will be. I feel incredibly indecisive, but I do know where to go for inspiration.
I don’t remember how, but most likely researching a recipe idea, I stumbled upon Erica de Mane’s newsletter New York Italian (need I say more?). I love her recipes, ideas and generally just connect with her outlook on food. If you too haven’t come up with Sunday’s menu, this is a great place to look. Strozzapreti with Lamb Ragù, Warm Spices, and Ricotta? Spezzatino of Lamb with Fennel, Carrots, and Peas? Yes, please. You can read more about her impressive career here.
I’ve never met Erica, but I have a feeling we’d be good friends. She’s also on Wordpress and is a regular at Gene’s in the West Village, which in itself is a flex.
I had the pleasure to speak with the wonderful women over at Mutha about writing, life and this newsletter. I’m a big fan of the brand and their products. If you choose to purchase anything, please use COLU15 when checking out for 15% off. I love their serums and their face oil smells like heaven.
I’m also swooning over this caftan-like Keisha dress from Sezanne. I need another dress like pickles on a pancake, but she is calling to me. Do you know the first piece I ever pitched and got paid to write in 2011, was to the incredible ? It was an ode to my love of (you guessed it), caftans. You can ready it here.
Christene has since become a very dear friend and writes A Tiny Apt. here on this platform. She is a wealth of knowledge of all things fashion, thrifting, vintage, furniture, design and most importantly, a wise and deeply loyal friend.
Recently I had the pleasure of opening up a bottle of Chardonnay Arthur from friends at Domaine Drouhin and it knocked my socks off. If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of Oregon wines. Given how much I adored this particular one, I was inspired to create a special dish to pair alongside. Scallops deemed themselves worthy and assembling them atop a bright pea and mint purée showered with crispy prosciutto seemed like just the thing to welcome spring, which I'm willing to show up for us soon here in Hudson.
I assembled it on this beautiful, scalloped plate is from Juliska, which I think it’s so delicate and cheerful. It’s listed as a dessert plate, but I think it works just as well for something savory, which is generally how I lean anyway.
Fun fact, but did you know that Oregon winemakers worked with Reidel glassware to create a New World Pinot Noir glass? I believe they are the only region in the recent past to have commissioned such a site specific drinking vessel for wine, leaving me even more enamored with the Oregonians. Their state motto is “She Flies With Her Own Wings” and by golly she sure does.
Seared Scallops with Minty Peas and Crispy Prosciutto
This vibrant spring dish is as elegant as it is approachable. The grassy pea and mint purée pairs beautifully with the vibrant citrus notes of the Chardonnay Arthur 2023 and the scallops offer pleasing salinity and texture. You could certainly serve the purée without pushing it through a sieve, resulting in a more rustic presentation, but I think it’s worth going the extra step when opening such a gorgeous and bright bottle of wine.
Serves 2
(can easily be doubled)
INGREDIENTS
For the prosciutto:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto - about 2 slices
For the peas:
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus more as needed
Kosher salt
For the scallops:
2 tablespoon grapeseed or other high heat oil
6 to 8 large sea scallops, patted very dry
2 teaspoons, finely chopped chives
METHOD
In a 12-inch, nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, flipping occasionally, until it begins to crisp and brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel–lined plate. Wipe out the pan and set aside.
Make your peas: Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil. Blanch the peas until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. If using frozen, they may need another minute or so. Transfer the peas directly to a food processor along with the mint, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pulse until very smooth. Transfer the mixture to a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl, using a spatula or spoon press the mixture through. You should be left with a velvety purée. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasonings with more lemon juice and salt to your liking.
Meanwhile, season the scallops well on both sides with salt and pepper. In the 12-inch, nonstick skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the scallops and cook until golden brown and crisp, flipping once, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
To serve, evenly spread half of the pea-mint mixture on the bottom of two plates. Top each with the scallops and crumble the prosciutto and scatter the chives over top.
Have a Buona Pasqua to all who celebrate.
Con amore,
Colu x
Yay for Oregon wines!! Also, adopting their motto immediately.
Made this for dinner on Saturday and it was so so lovely! Never had minty peas but it felt luxurious and perfect for spring!