Business & Tech
Wine Industry Types: Tips for Doing Peconic Bay Scallops Right
Either simply broiled, or sauced and served over linguine, the local delicacy has some of the region's best palates salivating.
On Monday, Peconic Bay Scallop season opened in the cold waters between the North and South Forks, sending shellfish lovers to local fishmongers and restaurants in droves in search of these bite-sized delicacies.
That includes the local wine industry types, who more often than not are foodies of the highest order.
So to help you decide how you'd like to feed your scallop craving, we've complied a few suggestions from Long Island Wine Country notables on how best to cook or enjoy them.
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Juan Miceli-Martinez, Winemaker,
Miceli-Martinez said he holds to the adage that you really don't have to do a lot to a good ingredient. But for him, they're best done with pasta, often pan seared and served over spaghetti.
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"That way you make a meal out of it," he said.
"I actually had them last night in a lemon butter cream sauce served over linguine."
Adam Ehmer, Tasting Room Manager,
Scallops Meuniere is actually Ehmer's favorite preparation.
"Dredge the scallops in flour, salt, and pepper. Melt some butter in a cast iron pan and add fresh lemon juice (and/or a white wine like sauvignon blanc) and chopped parsley. Reserve most of this liquid for a sauce to cover the scallops at the end and leave enough in the pan to sauté the scallops."
Since the scallops are so small they don't take long to cook, he added. And it's best to finish them under a broiler to create a crisp crust.
"Then move them quickly to a dish and top with the reserved sauce. Pair with a local sauvignon blanc or chardonnay with subtle influence of oak."
Rich Olsen-Harbich, Winemaker,
For Olsen-Harbich, the bare-bones preparation is best.
"Butter, broil, done," he said.
Though he agreed with Ehmer that pairing with chardonnay would best complement the subtle sweetness of the scallops.
Jim Silver, General Manager,
Silver starts out with a word of caution: Don't ruin them.
"Don't ruin them with strong flavors," he said. "They have such a delicate, sweet, and haunting flavor all their own. These scallops have terroir."
Silver said you should rinse with cold water and dry very well. He also recommended lightly dusting them with flour – emphasis on 'light.'
"Heat a large pat of butter in a pan, medium hot. Toss in scallops in a single layer and brown them. Add a dash of good sea salt, and a small grind of pepper. Sometimes a touch of paprika. Turn to brown other side after about 1 minute."
Two minutes is all it takes to cook them, he said.
Greg Gove, Winemaker, Peconic Bay Winery
Gove also thinks simple is better.
"Lightly saute scallops in butter and shallots," he said. "Remove scallops and add verjus, reduce. Add a touch of heavy cream. Pour over scallops and serve with a dry Riesling."
Of course, the verjus and Riesling he's talking about are Peconic Bay's.
Barbara Shinn and David Page, Owners,
People who know Shinn and Page know this couple can throw a tasty dinner party. Shinn said they plan on cooking the local scallops tomorrow, in fact, doing them two ways.
"First, we'll eat them still quivering right out of the shells with just a squeeze of lime juice," said Page.
But for a more complicated preparation, Page said they plan to make scallop pizzas, which they said is like a white clam pizza only with scallops substituted for clams.
"Just a touch of garlic, finely chopped cooked home-cured bacon and snipped chives from the garden. I have the advantage of owning a wood burning oven, so this should be a real treat," he said.
The owners said they plan to pair it with Shinn Estate's 2009 Haven, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
Lenn Thompson, Founder, New York Cork Report
Thompson might be the hero of the group, because this local wine buff doesn't let his shellfish allergy stop him from serving these up for friends and family.
"Every September, my wife Nena starts asking when the Peconic Bay Scallop season kicks off. And once it does, I prepare them for her quite a bit," he said.
Thompson said his wife's favorite preparation is to lightly pan sear them and toss with fresh herbs.
"But my favorite way to prepare them is crudo-meets-ceviche style. I slice them into coins, raw, and add a squirt of citrus juice, a drizzle of good olive oil, some good salt and maybe a few thinly sliced Thai bird chiles."
He also serves them with a local sauvignon blanc, which he hears goes well together.
Theresa Dillworth, Owner,
Dillworth offers an easy preparation that has some great presentation value as well.
"I put the little ones into scallop shells with a little white wine, olive oil and garlic, and broil," she said.
Sometimes, she adds a few little shrimps to pretty it up some more.
Richard Pisacano, Owner, Roanoke Vineyards
But if all else fails, the propane runs out or your refrigerator is empty, Pisacano says you don't need to worry.
"Mmmmm...yes...raw... but naked," he posted on Facebook., adding that any local white wine you can get your hands on won't disappoint as a pairing option.
Are you a wine industry type who'd like to share your favorite preparation?E-mail henry@patch.com and we'll update this post as they come in.
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