#scallops
I love seafood. And I’m always craving seafood. Ceviches, oysters, po’ boys, lobsters rolls, moules frites, sushi. I love it all. I don’t really like preparing raw food though in my own home, but I’ve been craving crudo pretty badly. So I made this dish. It’s the fanciest (and least time-intensive) thing I’ve ever posted on this food blog.
Living in the Midwest, I don’t have access to the super fresh stuff I’m used to in New York and that’s why I don’t really like preparing raw food in at home. Granted, technology and the way things are packaged and shipped are continuously improving, but the ultimate rule is always buy from a trusted source!
This dish is an appetizer and I can’t stress the importance of using high-quality fresh scallops for this. Secondly, the Thai basil brings out a little earthy bitterness that I quite like – if it’s not for you, sweeten it up with a few tablespoons of fresh squeezed orange juice à la Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
For about 4 servings:
- ½ lb. dry-packed sea scallops
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tbsp. pure sesame oil
- 1 ½ tsp. tamari
- 1 tsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- 1 small Serrano chili thinly sliced
- 1 bunch Thai basil leaves, chiffonade
Pat scallops dry and thinly slice them crosswise. Whisk together lime juice sesame oil, tamari, cringed and ginger. Arrange scallop on plates. Spoon sauce over scallops. Garnish with sliced chili and sprinkle with a tablespoon scoop of Thai basil leaves.
Flemings Potatoes—> Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
As folks who follow me here know, I’m not a guy who tends to line up for “hot spots” or rush out to trendy restaurants, so when my friend suggested we hit up brunch at Grand Banks, New York City’s newest “floating dining destination”, I was skeptical to say the least. However, I could not have been more wrong about his boat. I found Grand Banks to a truly enjoyable, easy-going eatery with fantastic food! Here’s a look…
Grand Banks is a restaurant built into a classic schooner anchored off Pier 25 in Hudson River Park on Manhattan’s lower West Side…
Their menu is appropriately seafood-centric so I started my meal off with a gin Bloody Mary, which the bartender referred to as a “Red Snapper”. Whatever you want to call it, the drink she made was one of the best I’ve had in recent memory…
When seated at the raw bar, which I recommend as you get a great view off the water while protected from the sun, we knew we were going to start off with oysters…
The chef/shucker recommended we begin with local Navy Point oysters as they had just been pulled out of the waters off Long Island Sound. Big and briny, they could not have been better…
We also went with a half dozen of their “Oysters Champagne”…
Black Duck Salt oysters from Hog Island Bay, Virginia, topped with cucumber, shishito peppers and champagne mignonette…
Next it was on to wild Jonah crab claws with smoked paprika aioli…
Pickled Fresno chiles added a nice bit of bite…
My favorite dish of the day was the Caviar Hash Brown…
Homemade hash browns served with a DIY assortment of toppings like pickled red onion and creme fraiche…
Along with an ounce of smoked Pacific steelhead trout roe…
Simply superb when layered and eaten all together…
They take their “galley fries” seriously, which were, no joke, some of the best I’ve ever eaten, sprinkled with seaweed salt, served with a sage aioli and spicy ketchup, which weren’t even neccessary…
When we declined dessert, the raw bar kindly sent out some Duxbury Gems to bring our brunch to its end…
In addition to the delectable dining, there’s also the views you get from Grand Banks, where on a clear day, from where were were sitting on the deck, you could see right down to the State of Liberty…
With Chef Kerry Heffernan in the kitchen and its wonderful waterfront location, I highly recommend Grand Banks for an afternoon of floating fun or an evening of seaside serenity.
GRAND BANKS
Pier 25
Hudson River Park
New York, NY 10013
212-660-6312