Going Lentil Into The Night
Seared Wild Sea Scallops over Red Lentils with Sausage | Chive-Cilantro Oil
HORSESHOES, HAND GRENADES, AND, SOMETIMES, food. Yes, sometimes you can come close to executing a brilliant meal and still have an excellent final product that more than does what it was intended to do. This was the case last night as I approached a perfect-in-theory dinner of sea scallops over red lentils.
I got the idea for the dish during one of my frequent visits to the local Fairway, standing on the express line next to the display of dried beans and fruits. I saw the beautifully colored container of dried red lentils and spent a day putting together an idea for a dish, mulling over protein options to plate with it. I had already known that once cooked, red lentils lose much of their vibrant, bright color, so I figured possibly sautéing some chopped chorizo to start would add not just some fat, spice, and depth, but would release some of its beautiful color in its rendered oil and and likewise into the water I would use to cook the lentils in.
Somehow, I short-sightedly came home without the chorizo, and had to use some hot Italian sausage—peeled raw from its casing and roughly chopped—from a neighbor instead, stirring it into a hot sauce pan with some salt, pepper, and Sazón seasoning (like sriracha, a kitchen must-have!).
One of the great things about lentils in general is that, as opposed to most dried beans, they do not need to be soaked before cooking, and Fairway had already taken the necessary step of removing any residual dirt and/or stems. So they right out the package the lentils went into the same sauce pan with some cold water once the sausage had cooked through and started to brown on its edges.
One thing I didn't expect was the lentils to cook so quickly after I set the water to boil then simmer, and as I puréed some fresh chives and fresh cilantro in a blender with some olive oil and lemon juice while searing some large wild sea scallops seasoned with salt, pepper and sugar (sugar highlights the natural sweetness of the scallops while giving great char, color, and smokiness to their edges quickly enough to maintain a just-this-side-of-raw and tender interior).
By the time the herb oil was ready and the scallops perfectly seared, the lentils had soaked up just a little bit more water than intended, and though still nicely textured, the individual lentils were not as "toothsome" as I personally like them. And although the hot Italian sausage completely succeeded in adding the aforementioned desired richness, I still think that some diced chorizo would have instead added a bit more color and taste, as well as been more discernibly and visually appealing. The chive-cilantro oil was superbly bright, aromatic, and floral (my argued addition to the taste categories) and complimented eat forkful of red lentils and scallops well.
My co-diner (yes, this was for two) found the dish "exquisite" and was "wowed" (both, her words) by it. I kept my small and petty little disappointments to myself, but I share them with you, my loyal readers, to show that, regardless of experience or pedigree, a lot of cooking is hit-or-miss, trial-and-error, and in the long run, only makes you and your dishes that much better. This dish in particular, however, I look forward to re-doing, hopefully properly, and sharing with you the rewards of never giving up on a dish, and how perseverence pays off.
I can sleep peacefully with dish I made, but am restless with excitement to have at it one more time...! =)
Bun Apple Tea!
KACnyc
Seared Wild Sea Scallops over Red Lentils with Sausage | Chive-Cilantro Oil
