Ingredients
4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt + additional to taste
1 cups stoneground grits
3 Tablespoons butter
1 cup piave vecchio or parmigiana reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped (optional)
2 Scallions, chopped, for top
You will also need:
3 qt. pot with lid
Cheese grater
Paring knive
Instructions
Bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Add the grits and stir to prevent lumping. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for at least 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the butter and the cheese. Stir well to melt and to incorporate. Add the roasted red pepper, if using. Add more salt, if needed, to taste. Scatter the chopped scallions on top.
Serves 4 people as breakfast dish or 8 people as part of appetizer course with seared scallops.
Note: These breakfast preserves are best when made with fruit that has gotten a little too ripe to eat plain. It is a great use for that fruit you were just about to throw out. Serve it with multi-grain toast or with a French baguette.
Ingredients
1 cup ripe fruit
1/3 cup brown sugar
You will also need:
Paring knife
Small pot
Large spoon
Instructions
Peel the fruit (or if using berries, take off the stems) and chop into ¼” pieces. Put into a small pot and add the brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook uncovered for about 15 minutes until thickened.
Ingredients
24 scallops, blotted with paper towel
Paprika
Salt and pepper
3-4 T. olive or grapeseed oil
About 40 unshelled fava bean pods
1½ cup water
Fleur de sel (sea salt)
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
You will also need:
Small saucepan
Slotted spoon
Bowl of ice
Serving plates
Paper towels
1 large sauté pan
Heat-proof spatula
Instructions
Prepare fava beans by shelling them. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add the fava beans and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until the beans are tender-crisp. Remove beans immediately from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place them quickly into a bowl of ice to cool. When the beans have cooled enough, remove the skin and place the beautiful green beans in a decorative pattern on your serving plates. Sprinkle with a little Fleur de sel to season. Set aside.
Blot scallops lightly with paper towels. Sprinkle liberally on both sides with paprika. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat oil in sauté pan until nice and hot. Add scallops and cook for 2-3 minutes until nicely browned on one side. Turn each scallop and cook on the other side until nicely browned, being careful not to overcook. Remove from heat and place the scallops on the serving plates with the fava beans. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the scallops and beans.
Serve immediately.
Ingredients
4 medium fillets of fresh Alaskan halibut
2 Meyer lemons, sliced paper thin
1/3 cup grapeseed oil (enough to cover the bottom of the skillet)
Paprika
Sea salt and pepper
You will also need:
Medium skillet
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425oF.
Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Press the paper-thin slices of Meyer lemon onto the fish. Sprinkle both sides with paprika. Pour grapeseed oil into the skillet and heat it until fairly hot. Place the pieces of fish into the hot skillet. Sear well on one side, then flip to the other side. Place into a hot oven (425oF) and finish cooking the fish – about 5 minutes, depending upon thickness.
Serve with a salad and roasted potatoes.
Serves 4.
