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Nate Garyantes, chef-partner at Nanas in the Rockwood neighborhood of Durham, N.C., decided to use the Milanese or schnitzel technique normally used with chicken, veal, or eggplant, and apply it to scallops, which are often fried, but not pounded so thinly.
He slices dry U-10 sea scallops horizontally into two disks and lightly pounds them between sheets of plastic wrap using a disc-shaped mallet.
“You want them to be thin, but not so thin they’re falling apart,” he said.
He dredges them in seasoned flour, then an egg wash, then breadcrumbs made from leftover focaccia.
He quickly fries them in a cast iron pan in a blend of butter and olive oil until browned.
Separately, he makes a sauce of butter emulsified with a little water and then adds chopped capers, Meyer lemon segments, parsley, and a little salt. He uses that to lightly poach bay scallops.
He spoons the poached bay scallops with their sauce onto a plate and then adds the fried scallops. He garnishes them with a little chervil and finishes it with a squeeze of lemon.
“You would think you’d lose a lot of the scallop flavor [by pounding and frying them], but it actually heightens it,” he said. Using both bay scallops and sea scallops is like scallops squared — you’re getting hit in the face with scallop.”
Price: $21
Hector Romero, executive chef of Alma Cocina Latina in Baltimore, said this dish, which blends elements of Venezuelan and Thai cuisines, both of which developed in tropical climates.
He slices branzino lengthwise, removes the bones, and coats the fish in flour. Then he dusts it in a mixture of toasted and coarsely ground coriander seeds, black mustard seeds, allspice, and star anise and then breads it in a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, grated dried coconut, and ground tostones.
He deep-fries the fish and serves it over a sauce made with lemon juice, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, Thai chile, and cilantro, and garnishes it with a salad of cucumber and daikon shaved into threads, chunks of roasted pineapple, and micro-basil.
Romero said this dish reflects a connection of tropical countries “through culinary techniques, ingredients, pantry, ecosystems, food customs, diversity, and culture. Its presentation is an allegory to that exoticism that characterizes the tropics. The flavors are expressed with strength and balance, and the crunchy textures in contrast with the freshness and acidity of its other elements, result in a ‘colorful’ dish in all aspects. All of the above marks a distinctive element of Alma Cocina Latina’s project.”
Price: $38
This drink on the new cocktail menu at Doya in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami is based on balsamic vinegar, which was invented in the Italian city of Modena, but it starts with a gin from the region of Galicia on Spain’s Atlantic coast.
Beverage director Anthony Medina makes a balsamic syrup by simmering 300 milliliters each of balsamic vinegar and water plus 200 grams of sugar just until the sugar dissolves. Then he cools and bottles it.
He pours 45ml of Nordés gin and 22ml of the balsamic syrup into a mixing glass, adds 3 dashes of Scrappy’s Lavender Bitters, stirs it with ice and pours it into a wine glass filled with ice and garnished with strawberry slices, and then adds four ounces of Seventeen Tonic Water.
Price: $18
For this dish on the new menu at Spain Wine Bar in Ocean City, Md., executive chef Abdramane Traore Bouthia heats unsalted butter until it starts to foam and then sweats sliced shallot with fresh thyme, followed by heavy cream, which he reduces until it’s thick, and then purées with blanched spinach and basil to create a creamy vibrant green liquid that he adds to traditional cooked risotto, finishing it with Parmesan cheese. He tops that with seared scallops and garnishes it with shaved carrots and celery dressed in lemon Dijon vinaigrette.
Price: $23
For this dish on the new menu at Lotus Noodle Bar in St. Augustine, Fla., chef Barry Honan cures egg yolks in soy sauce and mirin for 24 hours.
At service, he finely dices Miyazaki A5 wagyu beef and mixes it with a little togarashi spice, salt, toasted sesame seeds, fried garlic, and gochujang. He plates it with a cured egg yolk, toasted nori seaweed, and toasted sesame seeds
Price: $30
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