Black Garlic Scallops

I think my culinary interests have been rubbing off on someone...



I came home from work last Sunday to a full report on the Spice House in Old Town - which, by the way, i can't believe I haven't been there yet - and a brown paper bag full of goodies including black garlic. Peter then informed me that black garlic has four times the antioxidants of regular garlic, and some other details about its magical powers. I haven't fact checked that, so don't hold me accountable. He also found this recipe for me on steamykitchen.com, and even offered to do that cooking that night. But about two minutes in he told me "you're better at chopping stuff" so I took the reins.

Before I get into the recipe, let me just say that cooking with black garlic was interesting. I've never used it before. Black garlic is fermented at a high heat and this turns the cloves black and sticky and subsequently gives them a different taste. It's a very distinct flavor often used in Asian cuisine.




Here's the recipe, with a few adjustments:

3 tablespoons butter, divided
16 medium/large scallops, about a pound or a little under
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves black garlic, thinly sliced (or use regular garlic)
1-2 teaspoons finely minced jalapeno pepper
¼ cup white wine
2 teaspoons good balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat a large frying pan with just 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Once melted, scrape the foam off the top of the butter to get clarified butter. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and gently lay the scallops in the pan, not touching. Sear the scallops and cook for 4 minutes, turning once. They should have a lovely golden brown color on both sides. Transfer to a platter.

To the same hot pan on high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic slices and the jalapeno pepper and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the white wine and the balsamic vinegar into the pan. Let simmer for 1 minute, season with salt and pepper and add the fresh parsley. Pour over scallops.





All in all, pretty easy. The black garlic has a strong flavor. I really liked it, but I can see how some people might not be into it. It's always fun to experiment with new ingredients, and since I still have some of the garlic left over I guess I'll have to try another new recipe!

And with that, I leave you for the weekend! I have a very fun 4th of July weekend planned which won't leave me much time to be on the computer. What will I be doing this weekend? Oh, you know...hanging out with friends (friends! in Chicago!), eating delicious food, drinking delicious wine, maybe even a little baseball and a little fleach. See you next week!