I want to put this in your mouth... You’ve got to taste it. The scent and flavor of fresh ginger is so bright and inspiring it has me reeling with uses for it. This is one of favorite finds at the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market in August. Fresh ginger is tender and not fibrous like it gets later. No need to peel it either, cut off the green stems and it’s totally usable – gotta love that. I just found these fresh roasted peanuts at a farm up north, my chives are about 2 feet long now so all together it made the most smashingly-face-slappin’-encore!-encore!-entrée I just had to share it.
Fresh Ginger Scallops
This would be great with a good local fish too or even beef. It may seem long but it’s fast & easy. We loved it with coconut rice; just regular rice but swap ½ the water for coconut cream and add a ½ cup of toasted unsweetened coconut before you turn on the pot or rice maker.
4 large servings
2 lb scallops
1 whole fresh ginger, chopped & smashed into the scallops, refrigerated a few hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Stir together & set aside by the stove;
Juice of 1 lime
1.5 Tbl. Fish sauce
2 tsp. agave
3 Tbl. Water
Heat a large sauté pan. Add olive oil & sear the scallops enough to give them just a bit of color then lay them out in a serving dish that they fit in well and set them aside.
Chop;
2 torpedo onions, or small other onions (I love the smaller sweet red ones from Farmers Market)
1 whole fresh ginger
1 bunch of fresh chives
2 small red Thai chilies, sliced into rounds
4 cloves garlic
One cup herbs; 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, Thai basil & mint
¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts (these just split in halves)
Put the Scallops in the oven. Wipe the sauté pan clean the heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Stir fry the onions & ginger a few minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir a minute or so then pour in the lime juice mixture. Reduce that all a few minutes.
Pull the scallops from the oven and mop out the fluid they’ve given off with a paper towel. Pour the sauté pan sauce over them and return to the oven just about 5 minutes.
Lynette La Mere, Pure Joy Catering, Executive Chef
photos by Lucas, my son & best cookin partner