One night, on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, I ordered a bowl of ramen and watched the cook serve a paste alongside the noodle soup that I’d never seen before. It was yuzu kosho. It only has three ingredients: salt, hot pepper, and yuzu, the Japanese citrus, but it’s fascinating. It has spice, fragrance, aroma—everything. There are two types: red, made from ripe yuzu and red chiles, and green, from unripe fruit with green chiles. I use the sharper green version to cut through rich meats, and the milder red in seafood dishes, like these grilled scallops.

Pairing note: Earthy Sumiyoshi Tokubetsu Junmai sake from Japan’s Yamagata prefecture stands up to yuzu kosho’s spice.

The post Grilled Scallops with Yuzu Kosho Vinaigrette appeared first on Saveur.

Tender, sweet scallops are paired with a tomato-rich chickpea stew, here spiced with merkén, a traditional Chilean red chile spice mix made from dried ajè cacho de cabra, or goat’s horn chiles. This simple stew, from chef Juan Pablo Mellado Arana of Las Cabras, a soda fountain and restaurant in Providencia, Santiago, Chile, is ideal served with a hunk of crusty bread for dunking.

Featured in: “All Eyes on Santiago.”

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Some of the world’s greatest dishes demand a nip of wine or spirits to reach their full potential. Welcome to Splash in the Pan, where writer and drinks expert Tammie Teclemariam teaches you how to bring them to life.

Few spirits are as inspirational as mezcal, whose cryptic flavor permutations are attributable to agave type, terroir, and the mezcalero’s training. Grain spirits like whiskey strive for a consistent outcome with each bottling. However, with mezcal, the better you know it, the harder it is to generalize, because at its best, the agave distillate is unexpected. It can be as intricate as wine, something to learn bottle by bottle, and to celebrate the variables on their own terms rather than seeking a paragon of mezcal perfection. 

Although mezcal and tequila share the same base material—agave—the former is far more flavorful than its more commercially successful, and industrialized, cousin. Consider that even super-premium tequila is mostly consumed in cocktails or shots, while nice mezcal is almost always sipped neat and with reverence. Often the difference is reduced to “mezcal is smoky, and tequila is not,” but even that oversimplification is not always the case. Most tequila has been standardized to a fault, largely due to its decades-long global popularity. In the small but booming mezcal industry, there is an ongoing campaign to preserve the traditional modes of production that keep this beverage special. 

Mezcal is also the rare spirit with a strong affinity to food. Where icy sips of vodka function merely as a palate cleanser between oily bites of fish, mezcal resonates with herbs, meat, fruit, and spices, because it has so much complexity of its own. But mezcal is more famously consumed alongside, rather than in food, so I reached out to a couple friends who work with the spirit to see if they knew of any culinary uses: Noah Arenstein, a bartender and restaurant manager in Las Vegas, and Tess Rose Lampert, author of the forthcoming book, Mezcal & Tequila Companion.

Among ideas for marinades, salsa borracha, and stewed fruit, they each suggested aguachile, a chilled Mexican seafood dish from Sinaloa and Sonora. Both states produce agave spirits, but Sinaloa is part of the Mezcal Denomination of Origin. (The comparable spirit produced in Sonora is called bacanora.) Typically, aguachile is raw, fresh fish or shellfish served in an ice-cold broth of blended hot green peppers, cilantro, and lime juice, garnished with cucumber. Since those are all flavors that perform well in cocktails, adding mezcal seemed like a natural fit, especially since a serving of aguachile leaves you with an abundance of juice to drink after eating the cold, marinated fish. 

Because I chose to work with scallops, which are delicate and sweet, I left out the serrano or jalapeño, instead letting the liquor bring its own kind of heat. I tried using two different mezcals, both made from espadin-type agave under the Nuestra Soledad label, which offers expressions from six different regions, all of which taste vastly different, from the Santa Maria Zoquitlán—which is evocative of the microclimate where mezcalero Jose Parada Valera plants mango, passion fruit, and watermelon—to the brand’s latest, hyper-limited San Balthazar release. 

For my aguachile, I tried the version from Ejutla, which is redolent of the green pepper flavor I was looking for, as well as one from San Luis del Rio, where the agave is grown at a particularly high elevation and smoked with rich and savory local mesquite. Both mezcals were delicious and distinct in the dish, showcasing the character of the spirit without overpowering the gentle flavor of the shellfish.

I finished my aguachile with a drizzle of Styrian pumpkin seed oil, which is earthy and roasted—just like the agave used in the mezcal—and a sprinkle of crunchy spiced pumpkin seeds, for a pop of hot chile flavor to help the dish live up to its name. 

When drinking mezcal, you’re supposed to toast by saying “Stigibeu,” a Zapotec word that acknowledges the life force around us. That same vibrant energy is the mystery captured in every good bottle, and why it’s impossible to identify a “right” or “wrong” version—in aguachile or in your glass. You just have to embrace each one for what it is.

The post Make Your Scallops Sing with a Shot of Mezcal appeared first on Saveur.

Traditional Mexican aguachile typically includes a chilled serrano- or jalapeño-based sauce—hence the “chile” in name. For this version, wine and spirits expert Tammie Teclemariam replaces that peppery heat with mezcal, whose savory-smoky profile can conjure the effect of a fresh hot chile without overwhelming the sweet, delicate flavor of raw scallops. Pumpkin seed oil and toasted pepitas add richness and an earthy, roasted note, and any leftover spiced seeds make a great snack alongside your favorite mezcal.

Featured in “Make Your Scallops Sing With a Shot of Mezcal.”

The post Scallop Aguachile with Mezcal and Pumpkin Seed Oil appeared first on Saveur.

We love scallops for their tender but meaty texture and rich seafood flavor. They’re just about perfect simply seared, but lend themselves to all sorts of other preparations, from ceviche to chowder and more. We’ve rounded up our favorite scallop recipes to help you use this luxurious shellfish. You’ll generally find scallops already shucked at your local fishmonger, but if you can find them in the shell check out our video on how to shuck a scallop.

By searing scallops over high heat, you can develop a crust on the outside without overcooking the delicate interior. Once you’ve perfectly seared your scallops, serve them with a simple sauce. We like using a ginger soy sauce and pairing the scallops with Brussels sprouts leaves or dressing the scallops with a rich finger lime beurre blanc. Alternatively, try basting your scallops with a wasabi compound butter as they sear.

Scallops pair well with other seafood. Our seafood Newburg supplements the traditional lobster with scallops and shrimp. For an extravagant summer party appetizer, look to our grilled seafood tower with king crab legs, lobsters, langoustines, clams, mussels, and scallops on the half shell. Serve the feast with seaweed butter, chile sauce, and coffee butter and watch your guests go crazy.

Scallops add depth and body to seafood chowders. Water-Prince Corner Shop chowder is rich with cream and potato and packed with haddock, halibut, lobster, crab, scallops, and—for good measure—bacon. For something a little simpler, try our thick, creamy chowder made with scallops and milk-poached smoked whiting.

Find all of these dishes and more in our collection of scallop recipes.

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Few foods are as underappreciated in America as the humble canned seafood. And unfairly so: Practical gastronomes the world over love to supplement their meals with these tasty and convenient tins, which in come in as many colorful varieties as there are fish in the sea. We enjoy topping a bed of salad greens with oil-packed mussels, or diving fork-first into a can of garlicky octopus. Here are some of our favorite tins—never more than an arm’s reach away.

Espinaler Cockles

These Spanish mollusks are meticulously hand-packed, so much so that opening a can is like finding a uniform field of synchronized swimmers waving up at you.*

Petra Mora Mejillones con Algas en Escabeche Blanco

Another from the Madrid-based brand, these mussels are floating around with strands of seaweed, which is an addition to tinned seafood that you didn’t even know was missing. It actually makes the mussels taste even more oceany.*

Patagonia Provisions Mussels

Keep sleeves of these organic mussels stacked in your desk to mix into green and grain salads or eat on crackers. Harvested in Galicia on family owned bateas, or rafts, they come smoked with Spanish bay wood or in sweet, spiced sofrito. *

La Belle-Iloise Sardines

I’m a fool for minerally Loire wine, so when I spotted these lovely blue tins of Muscadet-marinated sardines, I was hooked. The French sometimes include an extra kick of acidity in their canned fish—either in the form of wine or vinegary escabeche—and these bright, silvery fillets are particularly delicious smashed onto buttery toast.—Kat Craddock, test kitchen manager

José Gourmet Octopus

Hailing from Portugal, these tins boast both great-tasting seafood and playful design. Try the octopus in olive oil and garlic or the sardines in olive oil or tomato sauce.*

Roland Sardines

These wild-caught sardines come in maybe the most beautiful pink and turquoise box of all time, and the skinless, boneless oil-packed fillets are buttery, rich, and neutral-tasting, without the intense fishiness that often comes with tinned seafood.*

Ortiz Anchovies

Don’t even think of these as fish: They’re little bombs of umami, perfect for sneaking into anything (salad dressing, bolognese, chile) that needs a savory bass note.—Chris Cohen, senior editor

Les Mouettes d’Arvor Vintage Sardines

Tinned sardines are known to improve with age; high quality, oil-packed versions soften in texture and become richer over time and some shops like Le District in NYC and Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor make a point of offering older vintages. Breton tinned fish institution, Les Mouettes d’Arvor, packs their sardines—bones, skin, and all—in extra virgin olive oil. If you don’t plan to eat them right away, flip the cans over now and then to ensure an even texture.—Kat Craddock

Old Fisherman Mackerel

Inside this Taiwanese can are big cross-section chunks of whole mackerel, preserved in a sweet and slightly spicy tomato sauce. There’s a flavor strangely reminiscent of pineapple in there too, but there doesn’t seem to be any pineapple in the ingredients. Worth a try anyway.*

Cabo de Peñas Cockles

Spanish specialty importer, Despaña, carries an extensive line of tinned fish from Cabo de Peñas in Galicia. Their delicate cockles come packed in broth and they are some of the best I’ve had. They are tender and petite and just perfect tossed into garlicky linguine for a quick weeknight clam sauce.—Kat Craddock

Conservas de Cambados Small Scallops

From Galicia, Spain, these little guys are packed in tomato sauce and paprika, giving them a slightly smoky taste. They were one of the best we’ve tried recently, and while they are great on crackers and bread, they’re also tasty enough to eat on their own.*

Pingo Doce Sardines

Produced by Pingo Doce, probably Portugal’s largest commercial grocery brand, these sardines in tomato sauce are surprisingly delicious (though also look for the ones packed in olive oil). The big, meaty fillets flake easily and make a great addition to a summertime vegetable pasta.*

The post 13 Ways to Fall in Love with Tinned Fish appeared first on Saveur.

Shellfish are some of the most flavorful ingredients from the sea. Crab, lobster, clams, and mussels are versatile and delicious, but are often just left to boil. These sea dwellers have so much more to offer, and can be part of intricate and delicious meals. For a different take on lobster, try out the national dish of Comoros, a grilled lobster with vanilla cream sauce. Or take oysters to a new level by making an oyster pie with buttermilk biscuits. If you want a more traditional shellfish experience, make a classic shellfish paella, or share a crawfish boil with your friends. Get creative and try some new ways to cook and eat shellfish with our favorite shellfish recipes.

Shellfish Paella

A well-made paella contains a feast within a single pan. Get the recipe for Shellfish Paella »

Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls

Buying fresh, live lobster and good-quality buns will result in the most delicious lobster rolls. Look for live crustaceans from Maine that have all their claws and antennae intact, and toast fresh, squishy buns on a griddle with butter before filling and serving. Get the recipe for Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls »

Provençal Stuffed Squid

Fresh squid of every size, and cuttlefish too, are found at fishmongers throughout Provence. Lulu buys the tiny ones to fry, but chooses medium-size squid to stuff with herbs, chard, and bread crumbs (she prefers chard to spinach under most circumstances). To make things easier, the squid can be prepared in advance and cooked later in the day, roasted, grilled, or braised. Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with fruity oil or an anchovy vinaigrette. Get the recipe for Provençal Stuffed Squid »

Mussels with Coconut Sweet Chili Broth

Sinéad Roche and Thomas Ashe of Ashe’s Bar and Restaurant have incorporated flavors from their culinary travels through Thailand into this dish, marrying Southeast Asian ingredients with local Glenbeigh mussels, foraged from the rocky coast along Dingle Bay. At Ashe’s, they serve the mussels with homemade bread or twice-fried chunky potato chips for sopping up the gently spicy coconut broth. Get the recipe for Mussels with Coconut Sweet Chili Broth »

Sprouted Seed and Grain Salad with Spiced Prawns

This hearty grain and seed salad is perfect for lunch, as the quinoa, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds luxuriate in a lemon dressing with mandarin-sauced shrimp. Get the recipe for Sprouted Seed and Grain Salad with Spiced Prawns »

Grilled Oysters

Oysters are the perfect aphrodisiacs to have on Valentine’s day. Believed to increase fertility, these half shells evoke images of romance. Grill them for your lover and sprinkle some pecorino and bottarga before serving. Get the recipe for Grilled Oysters »

At Ireland’s Global Village, Martin Bealin and Nuala Cassidy pair local scallops with wild boar belly. In this simplified version, they use pan-seared slices of chorizo for crispy, spicy contrast to the sweet seafood and peas. They garnish the dish with seasonal vegetables like radishes and greens, or sometimes apples or cucumbers, from the restaurant’s nearby mountaintop garden. Get the recipe for Seared Bay Scallops with Pea Puree and Radishes »

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Long Beans with XO Sauce

I like the shadows in this photo, and how it’s abstract but warm and inviting. This dish included an ingredient I wasn’t too familiar with—XO sauce—so I wanted the image to drag you in and make you want to learn more about it. Get the recipe for Stir-Fried Shrimp and Long Beans with XO Sauce »

The Ultimate Crab Dip

Known as chupe de centolla, this Chilean crab gratin borders on a cheesy crab dip. While similar South American chupe are always prepared with milk-soaked bread and any combination of shrimp, scallops, shellfish, meats, and cheeses, Patagonia’s version relies solely on the massive local king crabs, the hallmark of fishermen’s kitchens along Chile’s southernmost coast. Get the recipe for The Ultimate Crab Dip »

Calamari with Chorizo and Artichokes

Squid and artichokes are sautéed here in the paprika-laced drippings of chorizo. Get the recipe for Calamari with Chorizo and Artichokes »

Grilled Lobster with Cilantro-Chile Butter

Chiles, lime, and cilantro flavor these grilled lobsters. Get the recipe for Grilled Lobster with Cilantro-Chile Butter »

Seared Scallops with Zucchini “Ravioli” and Tomato

Tomato water, a delicate pink broth made by draining lightly cooking tomatoes in cheesecloth, acts as a summery base for warm scallops and feta-stuffed zucchini–ingredients found in abundance near Twins restaurant. “The tomato water reminds us of the juices that would drain from our grandmother’s adzhika,” the brothers say, a salsa-like condiment from their native town of Kuban. Get the recipe for Seared Scallops with Zucchini “Ravioli” and Tomato Water »

Braised Bass and Clams in White Wine and Cream

This classic Portuguese dish of bass and clams cooked in a fragrant broth and finished with a rich glug of cream is adapted from Cimas in Estoril, which has been serving fresh fish to clientele since the ’50s, when the establishment was owned by a Scottish spy. Get the recipe for Braised Bass and Clams in White Wine and Cream »

Seafood Soup with Ginger and Yuzu Kosho

Flavored with wine and aromatics, this broth is similar to a nage or poaching liquid—you only need a shallow pool of it in each bowl. The broth features red yuzu kosho, a Japanese condiment made from citrus, yuzu, and chiles, which adds a round, tart flavor that is hard to replace. In a pinch, add a little more chile and lime zest. If head-on shrimp are hard to find—or you’d rather not fight with fish heads on New Year’s Eve—nix them for more shelled shrimp. Get the recipe for Seafood Soup with Ginger and Yuzu Kosho »

Singaporean Black Pepper Crab Legs

An abundant amount of freshly ground coarse black pepper mixed with fragrant garlic, turmeric, and ginger spices up sweet crab legs. Get the recipe for Singaporean Black Pepper Crab Legs »

Oysters DuPont

Crabmeat, feta, and capers are broiled atop garlic-and-herb-dressed oysters in this salty-sweet dish. Get the recipe for Oysters DuPont »

Coal-Grilled Lobsters with Charred Corn, Tomatillos, and Blue Potatoes

Hot coals char the lobster shells and impart a subtle smokiness to the sweet meat. You can upgrade the classic sides, too, by blackening the corn a bit and adding tangy grilled tomatillos and briny raw oysters. Squeeze seared lemons or limes over everything. This feast can be prepared quickly and is meant to be casual—eaten with fingers and the occasional fork (bib optional). Get the recipe for Coal-Grilled Lobsters with Charred Corn, Tomatillos, and Blue Potatoes »

Lobster and Avocado Salad

Sliced ripe avocados add a silky bite to an elegant salad tossed with lobster and juicy grapefruit segments. Get the recipe for Lobster and Avocado Salad »

Garlic-Steamed Manila Clams

This garlicky wine-sauced shellfish dish is served at The Stinking Rose, a garlic-themed restaurant in San Francisco. Get the recipe for Garlic-Steamed Manila Clams »

Icelandic Langoustine Soup

Similar to an American lobster bisque, the broth for this warming Icelandic soup is reinforced with langoustine shells and reduced before being bolstered with cream and curry powder. Get the recipe for Icelandic Langoustine Soup »

Grano Arso Orecchiette with Cuttlefish and Fresh Basil

Handmade pasta with toasted “grano arso” flour, tomatoes, basil, and cuttlefish. Get the recipe for Grano Arso Orecchiette with Cuttlefish and Fresh Basil »

Chilled Sea Urchin and Farro Pasta

The Italian anchovy sauce colatura di alici lends a deep umami flavor to this pasta dish from chef Justin Smillie of Manhattan’s Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria. This recipe first appeared in the iPad edition of our Jan/Feb 2013 issue along the article Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria. Get the recipe for Chilled Sea Urchin and Farro Pasta »

The post These Are Our Favorite Shellfish Recipes appeared first on Saveur.

Tomato water, a delicate pink broth made by draining lightly cooked tomatoes in cheesecloth, acts as a summery base for warm scallops and feta-stuffed zucchini—ingredients found in abundance near Twins restaurant. “The tomato water reminds us of the juices that would drain from our grandmother’s adzhika,” the brothers say, a salsa-like condiment from their native town of Kuban.

The post Seared Scallops with Zucchini “Ravioli” and Tomato Water appeared first on Saveur.

At Ireland’s Global Village, Martin Bealin and Nuala Cassidy pair local scallops with wild boar belly. In this simplified version, they use pan-seared slices of chorizo for crispy, spicy contrast to the sweet seafood and peas. They garnish the dish with seasonal vegetables like radishes and greens, or sometimes apples or cucumbers, from the restaurant’s nearby mountaintop garden.

An eclectic community of chefs, poets, publicans, artists, and ice cream makers have turned a once sleepy seaside village into an unlikely food destination

The post Seared Bay Scallops with Pea Purée and Radishes appeared first on Saveur.

When Gustav Brunn arrived in Baltimore in 1938, he brought one important thing with him: a spice grinder. He used this to make “Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning,” but later decided to shorten it and ended up with Old Bay, named after a steamship route on the Chesapeake Bay.

The spice blend became a Maryland staple best known as a seasoning for Maryland crabs, but this complex mix can go with just about anything. Sprinkle it on any steamed or roasted vegetable, throw it in some guacamole or dip, put it in ice cream, add a dash to your popcorn, or use it in any of the 13 recipes below.

Salmon Croquettes

Maryland Crab Hot Dog

Steamed Blue Crabs

Maryland Crab Soup

Crawfish Boil

Cream of Crab Soup

Gratinéed Scallops (Coquilles St-Jacques)

Lamb Shanks in Red Wine with Creamy Eggplant

Smokestack’s Chicken Wings

Crab and Shrimp Quiche

Hot Crab Dip with Pita Chips

Crab Cakes with Chipotle Aïoli and Pineapple Salsa

Old Bay Bloody Mary

The post 13 Recipes That Make the Most of Old Bay Seasoning appeared first on Saveur.

Use the biggest scallops you can find and brush them with nutty browned butter tinged with tart pomegranate.

Featured in: How Andrew Carmellini Does a Fall Dinner Party

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