A Match Made in Heaven
I wish I had a great story for this dish, but I don’t. Let me just say that some foods need only be eaten. It’s the edible equivalent of “shut up and kiss me.” It’s perfect. When I was a kid, my family cried when the Grand Central Oyster Bar in Manhattan closed and rejoiced when it re-opened. Sure, it’s overpriced and uneven, but the pan roasts and stews are second to none, and the steam kettles they’re constructed in are unmatched for romance when it comes to show-off cookery. For me, scallops and oysters are a perfect briny, oceanic tandem, and this recipe marries them perfectly. Growing up in NYC and spending summers on the South Fork of Long Island, I got exposed to dozens of styles for this classic seafood soup. The briny intensity here is unmatched, and the fresher the ingredients are, the better.I suggest you have a potluck at your house, invite everyone over and serve this easy fall soup. In larger portions, it’s a meal-in-a-bowl dinner that your whole family will love. For parties, I make a large batch and serve it out of coffee mugs.
How to shuck an oyster:
Montauk Scallop and Oyster Pan Roast
Ingredients
- 1 slice of bacon, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 quart freshly shucked oysters, drained, and 1 1/2 cups of liquor reserved (see note)
- 1 cup fish stock or clam broth, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound sea scallops
- Salt
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Snipped chives, for garnish
- Buttered baguette toasts or oyster crackers, for serving
Instructions
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
In a large pot, cook the bacon over moderate heat until softened, about 1 minute. Add the celery, onion, thyme, paprika and Old Bay and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the oyster liquor and fish stock and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat for about 10 minutes, until reduced by one-fourth.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the butter. Season the scallops with salt and cook over high heat until well browned on one side, about 2 minutes; immediately transfer to a plate.
Stir the heavy cream into the pot and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the oysters and bring just to a simmer. Add the scallops and simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, stir in the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Discard the thyme sprig. Spoon the stew into bowls, garnish with chives and serve immediately with the toasts or crackers.
NOTE: Oyster liquor is the liquid inside of the oyster shell. If you don’t have 1 1/2 cups of oyster liquor, add more fish stock to reach the correct amount.
Originally published in Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen Adventures on foodandwine.com.
Photo by Stephanie Meyer.
