Date Night : Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce and Brown Butter Panko

Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Happy Easter everyone! I hope that everyone is surrounded by family, devouring honey baked hams, and stuffing your faces with carrot cake. Or, well, that's what we tend to do around this joint. But unfortunately, I do not have an Easter themed recipe for y'all today, but instead a Date Night entree. This dish is truly stunning... in person... in photographs... in general. I love the pop of black given from the squid ink pasta and the contrast of color the seafood + tomatoes provide. It looks extremely gourmet, but it was actually quite easy to throw together. We purchased the squid ink pasta a while ago, but we were waiting for the right inspiration to hit us. Usually everyone serves it with seafood because it obviously compliments the flavoring of the pasta. Well, we chose not one, but three types: calamari, mussels, + scallops. You honestly could just leave everything out and just use the calamari... just make sure you double or triple the amount of it. The pasta dish doesn't have a heavy sauce, which I love because it allows the remaining minor components to sing-- quite loudly. The sauce is super simple, in that it takes some sauteed onions, garlic, serrano, seafood stock, white wine, and a whole bunch of heirloom cherry tomatoes. Between the brine-y flavor from the squid ink pasta + seafood, the sweet + spicy tomato sauce, and crunchy brown butter panko, every flavor note is easily achieved. Not only is this delicious for two people, but it can't most certainly feed a big group. And lemme tell you, it's a crowd pleaser. I mean, they always say that you eat with your eyes first... and well, this dish is as colorful as you can get!! Enjoy :)

For the Brown Butter Panko:

4T Salted Butter, Melted & Browned

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

For the Pasta:

2T Unsalted Butter + 2T EVOO

1 Small Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

5 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced

1-2 Serranos, Thinly Sliced

2C Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

2C Seafood Stock + 2C White Wine

2T Sugar (or to your desired sweetness)

1T AP Flour

1-2t Red Pepper Flakes (or to your desired spiciness)

Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

½C Mixed Herbs (we recommend minced chives, Chiffonade basil, & tarragon)

½lb Calamari, Cut into Rings

1lb Mussels, Cleaned + Beard Removed

8-10 Seared Scallops

8oz Squid Ink Pasta

Directions:

1. For the Brown Butter Panko: In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter until it has begun to toast and lightly brown. After it is has browned, pour the butter over the panko and quickly toss to coat the breadcrumbs until they are saturated. Return the buttered breadcrumbs to the pan and continue to brown them until they reach a lightly golden brown color. This should only take a few minutes (make sure to move them constantly, so they don’t burn). Remove them from the pan and place into a bowl, so that they can be used as a garnish later.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add in the squid ink pasta. Cook them according to the package; however, ours only took about 3-5 minutes (just make sure it’s al dente). Drain the pasta and set aside.

3. For the Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce: Bring a large sauté pan to medium-high heat and add in the butter and olive oil. Once they have melted, add in the red onion slices, garlic slivers, sliced Serranos, and calamari rings. Cook them until they begin to caramelize slightly and become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes (don’t let the garlic burn). Throw in the tomato halves and continue to sauté until they begin to break down and release their juices, about another 3-5 minutes. Stir in the seafood stock, white wine, and mussels. Cover and let this mixture cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes in order for the flavors to meld and allowing the mussels to open up. Afterwards, sift the 1T of AP Flour over the sauce and stir to combine (this will help the sauce thicken a bit and hold onto the pasta better). Now, it’s time to season the sauce with red pepper flakes, sea salt, & fresh cracked peppers. Once it has been seasoned to your liking, add in ¼C of the fresh mixed herbs (saving the other portion for garnishing).  Add the drained squid ink pasta into the spicy heirloom tomato sauce and toss to cover the noodles completely.

4. Serving the Pasta: Dump the squid ink pasta onto a serving platter and place the seared scallops all over the dish. Garnish with the remaining ¼C of fresh mixed herbs and sprinkle the brown butter panko all over the dish.

5. Enjoy with some toasted bread and a glass of red wine!

Summer Corn Chowder with Herbed Lobster Salad, Cinnamon Pancetta, Crumbled Goat Cheese, & Fresh Chives

Summer Corn Chowder with Herbed Lobster Salad, Cinnamon Pancetta, Crumbled
Goat Cheese, & Fresh Chives

I know what all of y'all are thinking... soup in the summer? Someone check this girl out because she might be feverish. But seriously, this "chowder" is so versatile, you'll be making it all year long. In fact, I first made this soup last week and it only lasted about 12 hours in our refrigerator, so I didn't get to take a picture of it. Oh shucks, I had to whip up another batch... that's just soooooo devastating. Actually this soup is best in the summer when you can use that sweet, sweet corn that you found at the local farmer's market. There are two ways that you make this soup... rustic/slightly chunky or a smooth puree. We tried it both ways and actually ended up liking the batch with more texture (and even better, it required less work... winning). If you want it to be more "summer-friendly", this dish is great cold... almost gazpacho-ish. Now here's where things get insane. You get to top off your chowder with a big ole' pile of herbed lobster salad. This lobster component is bangin' because you toss big chunks of the buttery meat with mustard, lemon, a tad bit of mayo, celery, and a whole bunch of herbs. It's kind of like the filling of a "naked" lobster roll. Everything is rounded out with some crispy bits of cinnamon pancetta, creamy crumbled goat cheese, and a fresh zip of a bunch of homegrown herbs. This corn chowder exists in such balance between all of its parts + additions. I hope all of y'all enjoy this summer soup as much as we did!! Enjoy :)

skewering the lobsters before they are grilled

rubbing down the tails with some compound butter

lots of toppings + lobster

herbed lobster salad. cinnamon pancetta. crumbled goat cheese. fresh chives + basil.

Ahhh sweet summer corn at its' finest :)

Our Dinner: Summer Corn Chowder + Southern Cornbread Panzanella Salad

For the Summer Corn Chowder:

½lb Thick Cut Smoked Bacon or Pancetta, Cut into Cubes

¼t Cinnamon 

¼C White Wine

4T Unsalted Butter

1 Small Vidalia Onion, Finely Chopped

2 Stalks of Celery, Finely Chopped

1 Large Carrot, Finely Chopped

4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, Finely Chopped

8 Ears of Fresh Summer Corn, Kernels Cut Off

1Q Seafood Stock + 1C Water

1t Turmeric

Heavy Pinch of Ground Nutmeg, Cumin, & Ground Mustard

4 Sprigs of Thyme

2C Heavy Cream

½C Sour Cream

Sea Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper, & Sugar (to taste)

For the Herbed Lobster Salad:

2C Freshly Cooked Lobster Meat, Cut into Large Chunks

1 Small Shallot, Finely Minced

2t Fresh Lemon Juice + 1t Fresh Lemon Zest

1t Dijon Mustard

1T Mayo

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3T Fresh Celery Leaves, Roughly Chopped

1T Fresh Tarragon, Roughly Chopped

1T Fresh Basil, Roughly Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (and the addition of a pinch of sugar for sweetness)

For the Soup Garnishes:

Cinnamon Pancetta or Crispy Bacon Lardons

Crumbled Goat Cheese (we like Humboldt Fog)

Fresh Minced Chives

Prepared Herbed Lobster Salad

Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Garnishing

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. For the Summer Corn Chowder: In a large soup pot, add in the diced bacon or pancetta and sprinkle the cinnamon over the top and cook over medium heat until the pork is crispy and fat has rendered. Bring the pot up to medium-high heat and add in the wine to deglaze the pot, removing the flavorful brown bits from the bottom. Add in the butter and melt completely. Add in the diced onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and sauté until tender, about 6-8 minutes. You want them to begin to caramelize, but not brown. Next, toss in the fresh corn kernels and season with salt & pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until they have softened slightly. Throw in the sprigs of fresh thyme, seafood stock, water, turmeric, and all other spices. Bring the corn mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Once the soup has cooked and softened, puree the corn soup into smooth chowder with an immersion blender or a regular blender. After it has been pureed, return the pot to the stove and stir in the heavy cream and sour cream. Season the soup to taste, making sure to add any more spices that are needed. This is where you have to decide whether you want a slightly chunky soup or very smooth bisque. If you want smooth bisque, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to get out all liquids. Discard the solid afterwards. We chose to leave it slightly chunky because we liked the texture, but it’s up to you! You can serve the soup hot or cold, but with the herbed lobster salad, the soup is best chilled (like a gazpacho).

2. For the Herbed Lobster Salad: Whisk shallot, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, and mayo in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons oil; season dressing with kosher salt and pepper (and a pinch of sugar if you like). Add in 2C of cooked lobster meat, 3 tablespoons celery leaves, tarragon, and basil; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill until cold, about 1 hour.

3. Serving the Soup: Divide the summer corn chowder into serving bowls evenly. Sprinkle the top of the soup with the crispy cinnamon pancetta, crumbled goat cheese, fresh minced chives, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh cracked pepper. Finish the soup with a large pile of herbed lobster salad in the center and enjoy with a glass of white wine.

Date Night : Angry Mussels with Grilled Truffle Bread

My Mountain Man and I have decided to start a new tradition of having a date night once a week. I know that sounds bizarre because we're still quite young, and this kinda sounds like an old married couple who doesn't have time for one another, but it's quite the opposite. We've been dating now for about four and a half years and when you get to being with someone that long, you have to keep the "zsa-zsa-zsu" alive (as Carrie Bradshaw would say). Well, this new tradition is a lot of fun, and we really look forward to it every week now. I either cook us a special meal or he takes us out to dinner, and there are always some beautiful flowers involved (or some delicious chocolates, yum). So, for one of our date nights, I decided to recreate one of his favorite dishes from JCT Kitchen called "Angry Mussels". I have probably described this meal before because it is his go-to order whenever we go to lunch. But the mussels are perfectly cooked in a serrano-bacon-onion-garlic white wine broth, and then served with the best bread in the entire world. Along side of our mussels, I made a fried goat cheese salad & an easy chocolate mousse (which I will post in the next couple days). But, honestly this meal was just so perfect. It was easy to prep and didn't require a lot of hassle because you just throw everything into the pot and wait until the mussels pop open. The most satisfying part of the meal is dipping the delicious grilled truffle bread into the leftover spicy broth... my mouth is just watering thinking about that. I really encourage any couple out there to try and keep a romantic date night once a week, just for some fun!! Enjoy :)

Our Romantic Date Night in the Garden by Candlelight 

Angry Mussels, Grilled Truffle Bread, & Fried Goat Cheese Salads

Angry Mussels with Grilled Truffle Bread

Spicy Serranos, Thick-Cut Bacon, Sweet Onion & Garlic, & White Wine  

The Most Perfect Meal... Ever

For the Mussels:

3lb Mussels, Scrubbed & Debearded

1 ½C Dry White Wine

1 ½C Seafood Stock

8-10 Strips of Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Thick Cubes

1T Coarse Black Pepper

3 Green Onions, Sliced

1 Large Sweet Onion, Thinly Sliced

4-5 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced

4-5 Serrano Chiles, Thinly Sliced

6T Butter

3T Parsley

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Thick Crusty Bread, Grilled or Fried in Truffle Oil

Directions:

1. Place the mussels in a large bowl with cold water to cover. Let them soak for about 20-30 minutes to remove any dirt or sand. Drain the mussels, and then remove the “beard” from each. If they are dirty, scrub the shells with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren’t tightly shut.
2. In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook the peppered bacon cubes to render down that fat. Once the bacon has rendered, remove the cubes, leaving the bacon fat to sauté the aromatics. Add the green onion and sliced onion. Cook these until they become fragrant, but do not brown. Add in the sliced garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Next, add in the thinly sliced Serrano chiles. Let them sauté and become slightly tender. Add in the white wine, butter, and parsley. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
3. Add the mussels into the pot. Cover and allow to cook until the shells are opened, about 10 minutes (discard any mussels that did not open in the cooking process). Once they have opened, add in the cooked bacon and cubes of butter, stirring to coat and melt the butter. Transfer the mussels and sauce to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the green onions & chopped parsley and with the fried bread slices for dipping.