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Special Diet Information

Coumadin® (Warfarin)
This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.

Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.

Sodium
This is NOT a low sodium recipe.

GERD / Acid Reflux
No specific GERD triggers.

Gluten Sensitivity
This recipe is NOT safe for those who are sensitive to gluten.

"For me, the cooking life has been a long love affair, with moments both sublime and ridiculous."
-Anthony Bourdain, Chef, Author

The refrigerator light goes on...

This is such an easy recipe and so very elegant. The hardest part is mincing a tablespoon of shallots. Well, you do have to make some rice and a veggie to go with it but even still it's a perfect weeknight meal when you're tired but it works for Saturday night dinner parties.

Saffron

Saffron filaments are the dried red stigmas and the white style of crocus flowers.  For me this has always been a lovely twist of fate because crocus are my favorite flower.  I remember that they were the first flower that I could call by name.  Our front yard was covered with them.  Little did I know their value.  

Describing the flavor of saffron is difficult because the taste is so complex.  It is at once aromatic, woody, umami with just a touch of sweetness.  To me saffron tastes yellow – like a warm summer day in the woods.  

I suppose that you could go out in the yard and pick the flowers, pulling the stigma out for drying but I prefer to pick up a few grams at the store.  Besides, a gram of saffron about 500 threads.  As each flower only yields 3 threads going to the market is quite a bit easier.  

Most of the available saffron is harvested in Spain but countries in the Middle East including Iran are popular producers.  The latter saffron is not as intense to my palate and I generally try to find the Spanish import.  

How much saffron?  I generally use about 10 threads per serving counting them out carefully.  For some recipes I will make a saffron infusion – essentially saffron tea.  I place the saffron in the bottom of a pyrex measuring cup and add about a quarter cup of boiling water.  Letting the threads steep in this way results in a more powerful aromatic saffron flavor especially in quick sauté recipes.  

For you saffron junkies out there John Humphries has written a lovely book called The Saffron Companion.  I must admit that I don’t purchase many specialty cookbooks like this but his writing is so wonderful and the because most of the recipes are Mediterranean or Middle Eastern they are both delicious and healthy.  

Curried Sea Scallops

Servings = 2 | Serving size =4 ounces scallops with sauce

Cooking Time = 30 Minutes

This recipe can be multiplied by 2,3.

This recipe does not make very good leftovers.

Serve with Jasmine Rice or Coconut Rice or Coconut Rice - Low Sodium Version or Jasmine Rice - Low Sodium Version or Brown Rice

AND

Serve with Parmesan Squash or Herbed Zucchini or Green Beans with Red Onion or Candied Carrots or Roasted Tomatoes

2 tsp	olive oil
1 tsp	unsalted butter
1 Tbsp	shallot
1 Tbsp	flour
1/2 cup	2% milk
1/4 cup	white wine
1/4 tsp	salt
	fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp	curry powder
10	threads saffron
1 tsp	lemon zest
1 tsp	Splenda
8 ounces	sea scallops

Place the olive oil and butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and cook for about 5 minutes. Don’t allow the shallots to brown.

When the shallots are translucent add the flour and stir gently with a whisk until the flour is well blended. Add the milk, white wine, salt, pepper curry powder, saffron, lemon zest and Splenda.

Reduce the heat to low-medium and cook the sauce gently for 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk the sauce frequently and after it begins to thicken remove from the heat.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot spray lightly with olive oil and add the scallops. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook on the first side for about 3 minutes. Turn the scallops to cook on the other side for 3 - 5 minutes.

When turning the scallops place the sauce back on the burner over low-medium heat. Heat gently while the scallops are cooking.

Divide the sauce between two plates and top with the cooked scallops and serve.