Monthly Archives: January 2013

BBQ Scallops with Little Creatures Pale

Caroline: We couldn’t stop thinking about the bacon wrapped scallops we had in Bedford on our minimoon a while back; so we decided why not just make our own version??

I don’t think I’ve ever tasted better seafood then the local stuff you can get in Tasmania in the summertime. That sort of pains me to admit considering I’m from Baltimore which is a close second…(Blue crabs from b-more will always be number one…moving on)

These scallops were soooo tender and sweet, you could’ve easily eaten then raw but we pan seared them for less then a minute on each side just to add a bit of crisp.

Our take on Jean Bonnet’s BBQ Scallops:

crisp up some pancetta in a pan

sautee some spring onion in butter

sear the scallops for 30-45 seconds per side (I like them nearly raw in the middle if they are super fresh)

squeeze over some lemon juice and season with salt and pepper

we drizzled BBQ sauce on the plate rather then on the scallops themselves, you don’t want to drench them and mask their flavor

place all components on a plate

top with nasturtium flowers if they grow in your backyard for a peppery zing and prettiness

the last and best step?

NOM NOM NOM

Caroline – We sipped Little Creatures pale ale with our snack but a crisp white wine would have been great as well, nothing too sweet since the scallops and the BBQ covers that. A cold Sauv Blanc, unwooded Chardonnay, a bitter pale ale or Pilsner does the job perfectly.

 

Prawn and Mango Salad with Pressing Matters Riesling.

Caroline: YAY! IT’S SUMMER! And who knows better how to cook for hot weather than my Queenslander husband!

Kris: You have to enjoy the warm days when they are here in Tasmania, Summer can come and go pretty quickly. What better way to enjoy a hot day than with a Prawn, Mango, Asparagus and Avocado Salad with a hopped dressing. I found some amazing fresh King prawns at our local seafood shop and couldn’t resist them. I simply diced some Mango and Avocado, grilled some asparagus in some garlic and olive oil and put it all together with some mixed lettuce leaves, fresh mint and coriander and some thinly sliced red onion.

Caroline : Kris experimented with some galaxy hops by infusing them in some olive oil. The first batch sat overnight and it was way too hoppy (wow I never thought I would write those words…). The second batch sat for a couple hours and had a nice crisp bitterness to it.

*get hops from any home brew shop or if you live in Tassie off the side of the road in bushy park (shh!) but DON’T use pellets they are wayyyy too strong and leave gritty bits in the oil.

Caroline : For the dressing for the seafood salad (after straining out the hop flowers) we added chili flakes, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, the juice of half a lime, and a splash of verjuice (or cider vinegar) to the infused oil.

Caroline : And the star? These AMAZING Queensland King Prawns. They were so tender and sweet and HUGE! They are a bit expensive but you really get you moneys worth and don’t need to buy too many.

Kris served the prawns on a bed of salad greens, grilled asparagus, red onion, avocado and chopped mango all tossed in the dressing.

Caroline : How could this summer meal get any better I hear you ask?ADD WINE I say! We sipped cold, crisp Pressing Matters Riesling.

Kris: Pressing Matters Riesling is one of my favourite Tasmanian wines. It’s zippy and crisp with a nice citrus character. A lager, witbier or American style pale ale would also be a great match to this dish.