Scallops with Chanterelle, Scallion, and Apricot
Pan seared scallops with a rich decoration of chanterelle, scallion, apricot, and ginger. Serve over milk grits for a sweet and easy southern summer supper.
It’s been a boomer year for wild mushrooms. (See what I did there?) The chanterelles in particular, here in the Southern Highlands of the Appalachians, have littered the forest floor like anemones on Caribbean coral.
Usually I’m a purist with scallops - a perfect sear and a good spritz of lemon - anything more is just gaudy. But... the thought of forest fragrant chanterelles dancing around the oceanic umami of scallops was too intriguing to ignore.
And grits… are an undervalued culinary vehicle in gourmet cuisine, if I do say so myself. I like cooking them with whole grass-fed milk rather than cream, as cream can dominate the flavor more than I like it to.
Ingredients
12 large scallops, rinsed in cold water and patted dry
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoon butter, divided
2 cups chanterelles, brushed and chopped small
1 teaspoons grated or minced ginger
2 scallions, green and white parts
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup yellow grits
1 cup water
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
Directions
Cook the milk grits. Bring the water, milk, and 1/2 tbs butter to a low simmer in a medium pot. Once simmering, slowly stir in grits. Keep stirring to make sure they don’t stick until cooked enough (this will depend on the size and composition of the grit - could be 12 minutes, could be an hour.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more water in small amounts as needed until they are done to your liking. Keep warm if needed while you cook the rest of the meal.
Heat 1 tbs oil and 1 tbs butter in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Season both sides of each scallop with salt and pepper. Add scallops to pan and cook 1-2 minutes on each side, until a golden brown crust forms and the centers are still slightly translucent. Remove scallops from heat to a plate to rest.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium skillet. Add the chanterlles and cook, stirring, until cooked through and most of the water is cooked out, about 10 minutes. Add ginger and scallions to chanterelles and cook 3-5 minutes until fragrant and the scallion is soft. (Add another teaspoon of oil if needed.) Add preserves and soy sauce, stirring until combined and reduced to a thick caramelized consistency, about 15 minutes.
Serve scallops over milk grits and top with the chanterelle mixture. Pour any extra liquid from the plate of scallops on top. Sprinkle on some fancy green like fresh scallions, minced parsley, or mustard frills. Enjoy!
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