Scallops with Spicy Beans, Tomatillo, and Citrus by Alison Roman

Drumroll please…. I have SCALLOP INTEL! 

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Remember when I made Alison’s Scallops and Corn recipe a few weeks back? No? That’s okay. Well that recipe was my first scallop-cooking experience, and I was disappointed and truly befuddled with how differently they turned out from what Alison described. They produced a ton of liquid, and shrunk down to an unexpectedly small size, and were far fishier than my tastebuds preferred. Upon reading that post, my pal Margaret reached out and astutely asked if I had used bay scallops or sea scallops, and which one Alison specified. 

Lo and behold, Alison HAD specified sea scallops, but I had purchased bay scallops. Not only did I miss Alison’s instructions, but I had no idea there were different types of scallops. Second time around, I purposely sought out sea scallops, which were noticeably bigger, cooked exactly as Alison said they would, and were far less fishy (not in smell, but in taste at least). Though they were noticeably pricier, I must admit they made me far more likely to cook them again. 

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And now for the recipe. First step is to combine sliced tomatillos, sliced tangerines, diced jalapeno, shallot, lime juice and olive oil. (Confession: I forgot to buy a shallot. End of confession.) 

The scallops take 3 minutes per side to sear in a lightly oiled cast iron skillet. I needed to cook them in two rounds so as not to crowd the pan. Before turning off the skillet, a can of cannelini beans need sauteeing in the tasty juices. The elements get plated with tomatillos and citrus on the bottom, then beans, and then scallops, with more lime juice sprinkled over. 

This meal redeemed my scallop experiences. It was also enjoyed as part of yet another tasty All-Out-Alison Meal. 

The menu: 

97 recipes cooked, 128 to go.

Smashed Cucumbers with Sizzled Turmeric and Garlic by Alison Roman

This is one of those salad recipes that I wasn’t totally looking forward to, but since my pal Kearci requested it for our Friendship Weekend meal, I acquiesced. And good thing I did too, because this is one I’ll be making again and again. 

The first step requires sizzling some garlic and turmeric in oil over medium heat for only a few minutes, until the oil is infused with the spices. Alison says that either turmeric root or powdered turmeric work fine here. I’ve never cooked with turmeric root, and I’d be interested how that might affect the flavor. Maybe it’s a bit earthier? Total guess, but it’d be fun to try. 

Next step is the fun step – smash the cucumbers. Kearci cut the cucumbers into 1-inch pieces, then placed them in a plastic bag and smashed them with the bottom of a heavy skillet. They softened and released some of their juices. Next time you want an “outlet,” try smashing some cucumbers? 

At this point, you’re ready to mix it up, baby! The cucumbers, chopped scallions, distilled vinegar, and turmeric-garlic oil have a really great party – a party that could go well with anything. 

96 recipes cooked, 129 to go.

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Raw and Roasted Kale with Pistachios and Creamy Pecorino by Alison Roman

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You’ve had kale chips before, right? Well this is essentially a salad of kale chips with lemon and cheese (and nuts if you want ‘em), and it’s delicious. 

My friend Kearci, who, by the way, gifted me with Alison’s nothing fancy, raves about this recipe, and insisted that we make it as part of our All-Out-Alison meal during Friendship Weekend. (FW is a term I just made up to refer to the one weekend a year that Kearci usually comes to visit me in whatever state I’m living in at that moment. #truefriend) 

Similar to a kale chip recipe, the leaves are removed from the stems and tossed in olive oil, Aleppo pepper, salt, and black pepper before roasting them for 10-15 minutes. The key here is not to let the kale crisp to the point of browning, but rather just the moment before it starts to change color. (A little brown is okay, but we don’t want burned kale.) 

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Meanwhile, we made a dressing with shaved pecorino (or parmesan, because that’s what I had on hand), olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. Once the leaves were properly roasted, we tossed them with the dressing. 

Now, I must admit that upon re-reading the recipe for the writing of this post, I realized that we left out one key element. Alison says to reserve half of the raw kale to combine with the roasted kale (hence the name of this recipe, lol). Instead, we roasted all of the greens with much enthusiasm. I have no regrets. However, I can see why the dressing has olive oil now, because that’s meant to soften the raw kale. I bet both versions of this salad are probably lovely. 

95 recipes cooked, 130 to go.

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Blistered Green Beans with Creamy Tahini and Fresh Hot Sauce by Alison Roman

Green beans are notorious (in my mind at least) for being exceptionally boring vegetables. Like asparagus, they’re easy to overcook. We’ve all eaten cafeteria green beans – limp, soggy strands of yellowish green mush, and we’ve all regretted those experiences entirely. While I hope to never allow my green beans to get to that level of devastation, I must confess that I’ve made some disappointments. 

Blistered green beans are anything but a disappointment. To blister green beans, toss them in a bit of vegetable oil with salt and pepper before sauteing them in a cast iron skillet over HIGH heat. It took only 7 minutes for my beans to show a light charring and turn a bright green color. By utilizing high heat for a short time, the beans retained their fresh, snap-like quality and firm structure, while still heating through completely. It was the easiest and most rewarding way of cooking green beans I’ve yet to encounter. Much like Alison’s Perfect Asparagus method, I will turn to the blistering method for green beans moving forward. 

Beyond the exceptional cooking method, there are several other elements in this dish that elevate the beans. The first involves toasted hazelnuts, which, by now, you know that I completely ignored. I could have used toasted pistachios but I had neither the time nor the interest. The fresh hot “sauce” comprises distilled vinegar, half a jalapeno, garlic, salt, and sugar. It’s best to combine these ingredients first so the jalapeno has some time to pickle in the vinegar. 

Finally, the creamy tahini, a mixture of labne (or yogurt), tahini, and lemon juice, provides an interesting foundation and kind of dipping sauce for the plate of blistered beans. The beans and hot sauce get tossed together before sitting in the tahini. 

Bright, fresh, tangy, slightly spicy, creamy, crunchy are some of the fun adjectives that describe this dish. Words that I never before would have associated with green beans. Life is full of pleasant surprises. 

94 recipes cooked, 131 to go.

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Buttered Raspberry Hand Pies by Alison Roman

I love pie, but I rarely make it. Pie crust is intimidating, primarily because it deals with very cold butter that must remain very cold whilst being cut, massaged, rolled, re-rolled, and rolled one more time. Pie crust requires knowing when to stick it in the fridge to keep the temperature right, and how to roll it out without creating any cracks. It’s a delicate balance of precision and intuition. 

Pie crust is kind of like golf. It can take years to become a consistently average golfer. A strong golf swing requires the right form, nuance, and attention to detail. So does making a pie crust. 

I cannot claim proficiency at golf or pie. Which is why I asked my friend Margaret to make this recipe with me while she was in town. Margaret knows pie crust like an old childhood friend, and her guidance was crucial to this process. She also helped me find a Gluten-Free pie crust recipe from King Arthur, which we used instead of Alison’s pie crust recipe. (Note: we skipped the ClearJel step in the recipe.)

Hand pies look like more buttery, sophisticated versions of Uncrustables. You know, the pb&j sandwich with sealed edges? A childhood dream! The process boils down to creating the crust, then the filling, then assembly, and finally, baking. 

I won’t go into the step by step of making the dough – that’s what the link above is for – or the filling. Instead, I’ll share some process photos below. Then keep reading for final thoughts! 

The filling of the pies consists of raspberries, lime zest, and sugar. Margaret and I agreed that the center tasted a bit too tart for our liking. If we make hand pies in the future, we may try using cherries, or adding some apple to the raspberry to balance out the sourness. Apricots would be nice, too. 

The hand pies were delicious, but I haven’t decided whether they were worth the hours of work. I loved the activity because I made them with a friend, but I doubt I’d have the desire or patience to bake hand pies alone. 

All of Alison’s recipes involving pie crust use her “The Only Pie Crust” recipe, which is listed in both cookbooks. But due to my gluten aversion, I asked Margaret to make the pie crust for me and write a guest post about it! More to come from Margaret. 

93 recipes cooked, 132 to go.