Lee Kalpakis finds this recipe quite amusing. Whenever she comes across it while researching outdoor cooking, she can't help but smile and think, "What are you doing here? You're much too sophisticated for a camping cookbook. How did you end up among the beans and pancakes?"
It's included here because she is passionate about scallops, and they are typically cooked in one pan. She contends that just because a dish is usually found in upscale restaurants doesn't mean it can't be prepared in an exceptional manner over a campfire. She has access to a fantastic local market that supplies delicious scallops, so why not enjoy them when they're available?
SCALLOPS WITH PEAS AND PROSCIUTTO
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
2–4 slices of prosciutto
Olive oil for cooking, if needed
10 large scallops
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup of dry white wine
2 cups of shelled English peas (fresh or thawed frozen)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
Flaky salt for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Place a rack on a baking sheet and position it near the stove. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the prosciutto and cook like bacon, flipping to brown both sides, until the fat has been rendered and each slice is as crispy as possible, 3–5 minutes. Transfer the prosciutto to the rack to maintain its crispness, leaving the fat in the skillet.
If the skillet is not evenly coated with prosciutto fat, add a little oil. Add the scallops and sear until a golden crust forms on the bottom side, then flip to create a similar crust on the other side. This should take just a minute or two on each side; if cooked longer, the scallops will become chewy. Once they are properly seared on both sides, transfer them to a plate, cover with foil to keep them warm, and set aside.
Add more oil if necessary to coat the bottom of the skillet, then add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and browned, 5–7 minutes. Pour in the wine and deglaze the skillet, stirring to loosen any browned bits on the bottom.
Add the peas and stir, then add the lemon zest, season with kosher salt and pepper, and cook until the peas are bright green, 1–3 minutes. Transfer the peas to a large platter and place the scallops on top of the peas.
Add the butter and lemon juice to the skillet and swirl until the butter melts.
Pour the lemon butter over the scallops and peas, then crumble the prosciutto on top. Garnish with flaky salt and additional pepper and serve immediately.
Pan-fried chicken cutlets make for a quick weeknight meal, but they can sometimes lack flavor. Enhancing each part of the dish with layers of taste ensures a delicious outcome.
This recipe from our cookbook “ ” features whole-grain Dijon mustard mixed into the egg mixture that coats the cutlets, offering a zesty, pleasantly sharp foundation for the breadcrumb crust to adhere to.
The cutlets are seasoned before being dipped in a mixture of flour and cornstarch for added crunch, then in the egg mixture and finally coated with panko breadcrumbs. If using regular Dijon mustard, add a bit more water to the eggs while beating to achieve a consistency that evenly coats the cutlets.
The cutlets are fried in hot oil until they're golden brown, and then served with a zesty cucumber salad. The salad—a simple combination of cucumber, lemon juice, and dill—provides a fresh and crunchy contrast to the rich cutlets.
Be sure not to skip the step of pounding the cutlets to an even thickness. This ensures they cook through thoroughly and quickly.
Prep time to completion: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
1 English cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise and thinly
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1¾ cups panko breadcrumbs
Four 5- to 6-ounce chicken breast cutlets, pounded to an even ¼-inch thickness
10 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
In a small bowl, combine the cucumber, lemon juice, dill, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Place a wire rack on each of 2 rimmed baking sheets. In a pie dish or a wide, shallow bowl, mix the flour and cornstarch. In another similar dish, beat the eggs, mustard, and 1 tablespoon water with a fork until well blended. In a third dish, combine the panko with ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Season both sides of each cutlet with salt and pepper. One at a time, coat the cutlets in the flour mixture, turning to cover and shaking off any excess. Dip both sides in the egg mixture, and then coat in the panko, pressing so the crumbs stick. Place the cutlets on one of the prepared racks.
In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat 6 tablespoons of oil until it shimmers. Add 2 cutlets and cook without moving until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is also golden brown, which takes about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the cutlets to the second prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining 4 tablespoons oil and cutlets, adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent the cutlets from browning too quickly. Serve with the cucumber salad.
Copyright Source: Yueke