Jumbo Shrimp with Chive Butter (makes 2 servings of 7 shrimp)

Here we are, only in the second week of this endeavor, and we have already run into a hiccup. It seems that there was a difference of opinion between my wife and me, as to which of the day’s players should grace the BLOG and get “Star Recipe” status. I picked the Bacon Wrapped Eggs and Polenta from Brunch and my lovely wife opted for the shrimp appetizer from our dinner. Well, neither one of us was going to budge, so rather than usher in a food fight the best course of action was just to pick two stars. Today we will post the shrimp appetizer recipe and later in the week I will post the brunch recipe. We will let you decide which is the winner.

The broiled shrimp is super easy to prepare, once you peel and devein the shrimp… but the key to the dish has to be the ‘butter’ (which isn’t really butter) and acts as both the baste for the shrimp as well as the dipping sauce. It is worth the effort, so give it a try.

Software:

1 tbs Dijon mustard
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
3 tbs melted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
14 uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied
Whole chives – make them long, these are a garnish

Hardware:

1 medium baking sheet pan
1 oven-proof cooling rack {must fit in the sheet pan}
Basting brush
Metal tongs

Preparation –
1. Preheat broiler. Keep the door cracked open. This will keep the broiler from turning off if it is on a thermostat. This way it will be nice and hot when you are ready to broil.
2. Put butter in microwave proof dish and zap it for 30 seconds or so, just until it melts.
3. Place mustard in bowl and then drizzle in lemon juice.
4. Add the melted butter and once it is combined, add chopped chives.
5. Season with pepper and divide sauce into 2 batches. One will be used for basting and one for plating. Don’t mix them up…cross contamination!
6. Set both sauces aside. (You can make the sauce about an hour ahead but DO NOT REFRIGERATE.)
7. Place shrimp on rack/cookie sheet combo.
8. Brush one side of the shrimp with the basting mixture.
9. Place in broiler and cook about 2 minutes. (You are going for pink shrimp and light browning of the sauce.)
10. Flip the shrimp and baste the other side of the shrimp. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Presentation –
My presentation {see above} was to plate some of the chive butter along with 7 shrimp (just about the perfect amount for an appetizer) and then lay unchopped chives across the whole plate. Pretty!

Bacon Wrapped Spiced Sea Scallops for Two (Makes 6 appetizers)

As far as seafood is concerned, both my wife and I are relative novices to the ocean's offerings. Neither of us care for the 'fishy' taste that some (most?) seafood has, but life has to be more than fish and chips or a tomato-based shrimp cocktail, right? Early last year I introduced her to scallops...nothing fancy, just a scampi-version, and she loved it. This past week we took our love of scallops to the next level by adding a curry/cayenne spice rub to the mix and then wrapping the whole thing in bacon.

A word of caution, when you are at the 'final broiler phase', DO NOT walk away. Be ready to pull your tastey morsels from the oven at a moment's notice. Wooden toothpicks, olive oil,bacon grease and an open broiler flame require attention!

Software:
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ tsp olive oil
3 thick-cut bacon slices
6 large sea scallops {tough ligament should be removed from side of each as necessary}

Hardware:
6 wooden toothpicks
1 medium baking sheet pan
1 oven-proof cooling rack {must fit in the sheet pan}
Metal tongs

Preparation –
1. Place oven rack in highest position or to about 4-6” from broiler burner.
2. Stir together brown sugar, curry powder, and cayenne in a bowl until well combined. Place spice mixture in plastic ‘zip-lock’ bag.
3. Wash scallops and lightly pat dry with paper towels.
4. Drizzle oil on scallops and then ‘massage’ scallops to evenly distribute the oil. Rest the scallops for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add scallops to the zip-lock bag and remove excess air. Toss scallops in bag to evenly distribute the spice mixture.
6. Preheat broiler (keep the door cracked open).
7. Place bacon strips flat on cooling rack and then place cooling rack into sheet pan. {Do not foil the sheet pan. It will cause the bacon to overcook. I apologize in advance for the extra clean up step.}
8. Place under broiler for 1-3 minutes or until some fat has rendered and edges begin to brown but bacon is still flexible.
9. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and slightly cool. {1-2 minutes maximum}
10. Cut bacon slices in half so that each slice is approx. 4” long.
11. Remove scallops from spice mixture bag and shake off excess spices.
12. Wrap bacon around scallop and secure with toothpick.
13. Place scallops back on cooling rack in sheet pan. {Again. do not foil the sheet pan} and broil scallops 3 minutes, turning over once, and then broil an additional 3 minutes or until bacon is browned and scallops are opaque. Serve immediately.

Presentation –
My presentation {see above} was to alternate the scallops with olive and feta Crostini but since the color of this dish is so warm, perhaps a bed of baby arugula?

A Good Place to Start...

Welcome to my 1st (and I hope NOT my last) installment of Chez Geoffrey Presents...

This weekly BLOG will post the most memorable item from either our Sunday afternoon brunch or our Sunday dinner. It will include a photograph of the finished work as well as a detailed ingredient list, recipe and presentation pointers. If what you see tickles your fancy or whets your appetite…have a go at it.

Go ahead and make it but then make it your own.

But most of all, don’t keep the results to yourself. Post a review on how it worked out…good or bad, or if you changed the ingredients or the preparation.

Also... if you have a killer recipe and want to share it with all...well post away. Just make sure to include:

1. Ingredients and amounts
2. Good preparation instructions
3. Amounts and temps
4. Plating tips.

- Chez