A week or so ago, our son, Mickey, came into the city for a Diana Krall concert and although we had planned to go out to dinner, much to my delight he decided to cook. What a joy! Off we went to the market and when we got back laden with shopping bags, Steve got the camera and I got my knife to be his sous chef. After dinner, when Mick and Steve went off to the concert, I did the dishes and thought how lucky can any one mother be.
Here’s what he made – this is Mickey’s idea of an easy Friday night dinner celebrating spring.
Seared Scallops on Pea Puree with Spring Vegetables: Fresh peas steamed and pureed with a little broth and salt and pepper. Fresh fava beans, snap peas, and garden peas lightly sautéed in a bit of chicken broth and butter. Scallops seared for a couple of minutes to caramelize nicely and still be almost raw in the center. The puree was spooned into the center of each of our plates, the sautéed veggies scattered about and 3 scallops nestled in the center. It was light and delicious.
Roasted Chicken Breast with Mushroom Sauce, grilled purple asparagus, and basmati rice: Whole chicken breasts were roasted with the skin on until just barely cooked; then, deboned and skinned. A lovely sauce of mushrooms, marsala wine, herbs, and stock was made and the chicken breast halves added for just a couple of minutes to warm and season. The asparagus was grilled. The rice cooked and dinner was served. I felt as though I had eaten in a starred restaurant with none of the associated hype.
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